All three are ex-Lorenz Borenstein, a New Orleans dealer and collector in the 1950's and 1960's who is better known for his contributions to jazz than ancient art. If you've ever been to Preservation Hall in the French Quarter of New Orleans, you've stood in a part of what used to be Borenstein's art gallery, which was converted to the jazz hall in the early 60's.

Tools such as these were used by the Mayans for daily activities in lieu of the metal implements used by Europeans. While obsidian is certainly more brittle than metal, its glass-like qualities make for sharp cutting edges that were employed by native peoples throughout the Americas for tools and weapons. Obsidian is a type of glass of volcanic origin. Large deposits of this material have been found at Otumba and the Sierra de la Navajas, both near the Pre-Columbian city of Teotihuacan. It has been thought that the control that Teotihuacán had over these deposits allowed it to export quantities of this material. As such, possible transport routes have been studied in an attempt to understand how obsidian reached such distant places as the Mayan region. Here, it is important to note the Teotihuacán enclave of Kimanaljuy?in Guatemala, which was in close proximity to some of the major Mayan urban sites. As this rock was used to make tips for projectiles, effective control of the available obsidian was of vital importance to the community. Studies carried out in the Sierra de las Navajas have given an indication as to the process of extracting the obsidian from the earth. Types of “chimneys?were found down which artisans would climb and excavate horizontal tunnels that yielded great blocks of the mineral, which would then be brought back to talented stone workers to be chiseled into various implements and shapes. These stone workers held positions of high prestige, and evidence suggests that the skill was passed down through generations to ensure the continued success of the family.

AGE: ca. 200-400 A.D.