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Staff Head(?)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The two-headed beast that crouches on the top of this object-perhaps a staff finial (head)-holds a human head or perhaps a mask between its paws. The silken surface and simple, elegant design identify the finial as of the International style, so-called because it crossed ancient boundaries and is found in Colombia as well as Costa Rica and Panama.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineStaff Head(?), c. 400–700. Colombia or Panama, International style, 5th-8th Century. Cast gold; overall: 8.3 x 7.2 x 2.4 cm (3 1/4 x 2 13/16 x 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1944.319
