Portrait mask of an Olmec ruler, Olmec, found in Honduras, Central America, Middle Pre-classic period, circa 900-400 BC. Oxidised dark green serpentine with light green-beige surface. H 19 x W 15.5 cm. © Deletaille Gallery

Olmec masks are important works of art from Mexico that have been found throughout Central America. For the most part they are made from jadeite or serpentine. Totally different from the large ceremonial centre sculptures, these refined smaller ritual objects in precious materials are evidence of a sophisticated and highly organised society. This mask was purportedly found in western Honduras in the late 1960s. This reinforces the idea that these objects might have been considered important trade items or tokens of prestige that were taken outside the Vera-Cruz region where they were most likely created. Nothing evokes more emotion than an Olmec mask. Probably portraits of important dignitaries or rulers, they often have fine incised symbols on the cheeks, forehead and around the mouth, as is the case with this mask. The iconography used was intended to confer symbolic power to the wearer and to reinforce shared beliefs. They remain remarkable items of technical virtuosity and are the material remnants of a glorious civilisation

Provenance: Emile Deletaille before 1970; private collection, Belgium

Literature: ‘Trésors du Nouveau Monde-Schatten uit de Nieuwe Wereld’, Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, Brussels, 1992, ill. n° 76

Exhibition: ‘Trésors du Nouveau Monde-Schatten uit de Nieuwe Wereld’, Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, Brussels, 15 September-27 December 1992.

Storyknife, Bering Sea, Eskimo, Alaska, Circa 1850-60. Incised Caribou bone with four wooden inlays. L 15 cm. © Deletaille Gallery

This object was among the most prized possessions of an Inupiag-speaking Eskimo girl. Made for her by her uncle, the storyknife was used to draw pictures and shorthand symbols in the sand, illustrating stories she made up or heard. This storyknife has the image of a bird (probably a puffin) or the head of a seal. The animal may be riding on waves evoked by the three notched inlaid circles under the hilt and subtle engraving along the spine

Provenance: English private collection 1980s; Lin and Emile Deletaille private collection.

Deletaille Gallery at BRAFA, 27 Jan - 4 Feb 2018, Stand 40b. Rue aux Laines 32BE-1000 Brussels. t +32 (0)2 511 69 73 - m +32 (0)476 69 81 79 - l.deletaille@gmail.com - www.deletaillegallery.com