Description
This ceramic figurine—in the style of Tlatilco, an early village site in central Mexico—depicts a female with two heads and stubby arms. Since many figurines from the period depict females, modern interpreters usually connect them to fertility concerns. Here, however, the physical abnormalities may indicate a relationship with the supernatural realm.
Provenance
(Stendahl Art Galleries, Los Angeles, CA, 1959, sold to James C. and Florence C. Gruener) (?-1959); James C. [1903-1990] and Florence C. [1908-1982] Gruener, Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art (1959-1990); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1990-)
Accession Number
1990.141
Medium
Ceramic, pigment
Dimensions
Overall: 9.6 x 4.2 x 1.8 cm (3 3/4 x 1 5/8 x 11/16 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener