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Museo del Jade Review

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Museo del Jade

Address: INS building, Avda. 7, Cs. 9-11, 11th fl., Barrio El Carmen, San José
Phone: 287-6034
portal.ins-cr.com/social/MuseoJade/

Jade Museum

Category: Museums/Galleries
Location: San José

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Fodor's Review:

This is the world's largest collection of American jade—that's "American" in the hemispheric sense. Nearly all the items on display were produced in pre-Columbian times, and most of the jade (pronounced hah-day in Spanish) dates from 300 BC to AD 700. In the spectacular Jade Room, pieces are illuminated from behind so you can appreciate their translucency. A series of drawings explains how this extremely hard stone was cut using string saws with quartz-and-sand abrasive. Jade was sometimes used in jewelry designs, but it was most often carved into oblong pendants. The museum also has other pre-Columbian artifacts, such as polychrome vases and three-legged metates (small stone tables for grinding corn), and a gallery of modern art. The final room on the tour has a startling display of ceramic fertility symbols. A photo-filled, glossy guide to the museum in English sells for $15; the Spanish version is only $3.

Cost: $2
Open: Weekdays 8-3:30, Sat. 9-1

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