An Olmec Jade Ax

Clifford C. Richey
May 2018
It would be helpful to refer to:
https://www.academia.edu/33253716/Depicted_Sign_Language_An_Ancient_System_of_Communication
when reading this paper. It explains the use of Form, Imagery, Gesture Signs,
Stance, allusion, position, and incorporation as used in composing glyphs.

For a direct application of the gesture signs to a composition (with illustrations of

the gestures) see:
https://www.academia.edu/13193557/The_Mimbres_Bat_Bowl
 Illustration 2: Initial Form an
Illustration 1: Original
Ax
Composition

Olmec Jade Ax approximately 1200-500 years old, It size is 31 x 16 x 11 cm, or 12 x 6 x 4 inches. The
ax is located at: American Museum of Natural History

This Olmec object in the Form of a large blue-green jade ax. The blue-green color was associated with,
water in many ancient cultures. What draws people’s attention to this Figurine is its very complicated
and distorted mouth.

Illustration 3: His Face, His

Appearance

The Overall Shape of the Figurine is, pictorially that of, a child, combined with the overall Form of an
Ax, the Sun, combines to create the phrase, a child of the Sun. The idea that the Figurine represents a
child is reinforced by its large head compared to its body. This along with the wide open Mouth, as if
crying creates the impression of an infant.

The shape of the Head/Face that of a Rounded Rectangle that was composed by adding “U” shaped
corners, indicating, turning above and below, to a Vertical Rectangle that means, a vertical-place.
His appearance, his vertical-turning-place above and below. This combined with the Large, the great
one, along with the overall Form of an Ax, the one that cuts (the holes). This appears to be and
indirect reference to the Sun, cutting entrance and exit holes in the earth. The signs that allude to the
Ears are Fingers pointing a direction, here, above and below, positional, on the sides, of, the vertical-
place.

Illustration 5: A Moth

Illustration 4: The Form of the

Mouth Area

The (black) Form of the signs around the Mouth are roughly in the shape of a Large, the great one,
Moth, its spirit essence or characteristic behavior is, the one that flies in the darkness, and is attracted
to the fire, the light. The antennas of the Moth are in the Form of the, arising sign and positional, on
the Left and Right, in the east and west.1 The references to flying in the darkness, being attracted to
the fire, the light (a close relationship to the Sun), and arising in the east and west lead one to think that
the Moth is a metaphor for Venus. We will see how this fits in with the messages contained in the rest
of the composition.

1 Tompkins, William Indian Sign Language Dover Publications Inc., 1969, 73

 Illustration 7: Color Coded Face
Illustration 6: Original

We will now focus on the Figurine’s Face and especially the (pink) Mouth. The Mouth is the
associative sign for, a source of water, such as a spring or other source of subterranean water (water
from the underworld). The Mouth can be broken down into other signs. The Upper Lip is a Horizontal
Rectangle that indicates, a horizontal-place, that in this case, also represents, a place on the surface.
The Curved (pink) signs represent, the male-spirit, positional, on the Left and Right, in the east and in
the west. The male-spirit sign is based on the shape of the glans penis.

The (purple and yellow) Forms are of a Sitting, waiting, Bird, the one that flies. In a Sitting Stance,
awaiting flight, in the east and west., positional, on the side, of, the (red) Triangle, the Female-earth.
The (yellow) Beak of the Bird, its Mouth, indicates, the water source, such as a spring.

Next we have the Form of a (blue green and light blue) relatively, Large, the great one, Snail whose
spirit essence is, the one who moves slowly. The Stance of the Snail is, head-ing upwards, Left and
Right, in the east and in the west.. The Snail Form can be broken down into other Forms.

The (blue green) Body of the Snail is in the Form of the sign for, arising, a Large, the great one, Water
Drop, the water particle, and its Stance is, head-ing downwards. The Stance of the (light blue) Foot,
the walk, is upwards, and the “Eyes” of the Snail are the “V” shaped sign for, the openings, in the
surface, positional, on the sides.

The (tan) Nose alludes to the Nostrils, the orifices, the holes (the actual holes carved into the jade) on
the Left and Right, in the east and in the west.
The (dark blue) arising, signs also allude to the Eyebrows that being made of Hair, indicate, the
growth or the development. The (orange) Eye is, metaphorically, the Eye of the Sun that refers to,
Venus, and its arising in the east and in the west.

Illustration 8: The (3) Many Holes

The Number 3 indicates, the many, similar to the English use of the word for, a few, The Holes are
positional, in the east and in the west, and in between or, at the center. The center was not only a
physical location but also a cosmological and a societal center. As a spring site it was considered a
doorway or portal between the underworld, the middle world, and the upper world. It was highly
revered due to its being the place where the deceased males of the culture passed through on their way
to the Male-sky. Deceased females returned to the Female-earth. Metaphorically, the Figurine as a child
of the Sun, was born from a union between the Male-sky (the Sun) and the Female-earth (the Earth).
 Illustration 9: Venus Arising

In Illustration 9 we see how the (orange) Eye(s) of the Sun, Venus was equated to the Hand of the
Sun, the steward of the Sun. The Thumb of the Hand is in the Form of the Sign for, arising, and the
Space between the Fingers and the Thumb for the (orange) Eye shaped sign. Thus, Venus arising, on
the viewer’s Left, in the east.
 Illustration 10: Original Illustration 11: Color Coded

The Throat was considered, a connecting tunnel, between the Stomach, the container, and the Mouth,
the source of water, on the surface. The Throat has a (blue green) Curved Line that indicates, held as
in a bowl.

The Arm, represented, a warrior, while the Hand indicated, the Hand of the Sun, a steward of the
Sun. As mentioned earlier, the Hand on the, viewer’s Left, in the east, has the (orange) Space between
the Thumb and the Fingers in the From of an Eye, --Venus. The Thumb has the Shape of the sign for,
arising.

The Arm and Hand on the viewer’s Right, in the west, the warrior, the steward of the Sun, has a
(dark blue) Thumb in the Form of the sign for, a part. The part is, positional, on the side of, the (red)
Triangle that represents, the Female-earth.

We find the same (dark blue) sign, positional, below, the hand and between, at the center, the (gray)
Vertical Rectangles, the vertical-places, that allude to the Legs, the long, and (green) Feet, walks, in
the (green) Horizontal rectangles, the horizontal-places, positional, below, positional, in the east and
in the west.

There is the possibility that, pictorially, the Figurine is holding a Knife in its hands. A Knife would
refer to, a ray of the Sun. This metaphor compares a warrior of the Sun with a ray of the Sun, the one
that cuts, a reference to how the rays of the Sun cuts, makes cracks, in the face of the earth.