gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology, Pre-Columbian jade; Costa Rica; Maya; exchange; iconography, lapidary

Sinkankas: Historical note on the formation of the collection, its public exhibitions, and final resting place in a special building upon the Dumbarton Oaks grounds, Washington, D.C. The three sketch maps correspond with the collection & catalog arrangement, ie, artifacts from the three broad regions of Mesoamerica, Costa Rica-Colombia, and Andean region. There are 425 items, the largest portion of jadeite objects and other hard and soft stones, illustrated on the many excellent plates. Other classes of artifacts: ceramics, metals, textiles.