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Animal-Headed Figure Pendant
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The same creature, nasty but precious, appears in both pendants (1939.515). Human in its posture and arms, its head is that of an animal with a long, toothy snout. It holds batons to its mouth, and whiskers or ears flare from the sides of the head. The little headdress domes are mystifying; they have been described as mushrooms, gourds, and ceramic vessels, among other things.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineAnimal-Headed Figure Pendant, 1–800 CE. Colombia, Quimbaya or Yotoco style. Cast gold; overall: 5 x 4.2 x 1.3 cm (1 15/16 x 1 5/8 x 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1939.514
