VERY LARGE AZTEC BIFACE
MEXICO
LATE PRECLASSIC PERIOD
A.D. 1175 TO 1521

PRIVATE COLLECTION
RETURN TO PAGE 3

   This extraordinarily large biface is one of the most skillfully made examples in the world and is a testimony to the highly skilled Aztec "flint smiths" of Pre-Columbian Mexico.  There are no more than a handful of flintknappers today that would be able to duplicate this large ceremonial knife. But the difficultly today, just as it must have been for the Aztec craftsmen, was the availability of material big enough to make bifaces this large.
   This very long biface still maintains what was apparently a standard shape for Aztec bifaces, no mater how large or small they were. The widest point on this biface is located 7 1/2 inches 19 cm) from the point and it tapers, with straight edges, down to a pointed base. This ceremonial knife measures 24 1/4 inches (61.5 cm) long and 2 3/4 inches (7 cm) wide. The thickest point, near the center, is slightly under 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick.
   This biface was originally owned by William Baumann. He was in possession of it in the 1960's but there is no record of it before that.

Large Aztec biface 24 1/4 inches long.

 RECENT LISTINGS  HOME  ORDERING