I think the general consensus is, the larger the artifact, the better it is, and of course would command a premium in the market. But in terms of uniqueness and rarity, Bigger is not always Better! For example, check this little guy out. The smallest Iroquois ( Seneca ) maskette I have ever seen. A typical maskette will be around an inch, this one is 3/8", but has finer artistic detail than the larger ones. Maskettes are known to be carved from shell, bone, or antler beginning about 1525. Later, between 1640 - 1700, the Natives were introduced to catlinite, and this became the stone of choice. The Indian name for these was " Mesingwe ", short for Meesinghawleekum,
which means " Living Face in Stone ", or " Guardian Spirit Face ". These are charms and good luck items either worn as a pendant, or carried in a pouch, and sometimes also known as Hunters Charms. For relative size, one photo is on my fingertip, the other is a toothpick in the hole. It had to take so much patience to carve one of these and drill it with a very small cylindrical brass or iron drill. This one is from the Nelson farm, Townly-Read Site, Burrell Creek, Ontario Co., N.Y. I wouldn't trade this for a 5" Clovis!! ( Sorry about the blurry photo, I couldn't get any closer and still get a clear pic)
which means " Living Face in Stone ", or " Guardian Spirit Face ". These are charms and good luck items either worn as a pendant, or carried in a pouch, and sometimes also known as Hunters Charms. For relative size, one photo is on my fingertip, the other is a toothpick in the hole. It had to take so much patience to carve one of these and drill it with a very small cylindrical brass or iron drill. This one is from the Nelson farm, Townly-Read Site, Burrell Creek, Ontario Co., N.Y. I wouldn't trade this for a 5" Clovis!! ( Sorry about the blurry photo, I couldn't get any closer and still get a clear pic)
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