Description
The female depicted in this sculpture wears a serpent-maw headdress—the female’s head appears within the jaws of the serpent, whose eyes can be seen on the “fan” of stone around the head. Many elite Mesoamerican people of the period are shown wearing similar headdresses, suggesting that such sculptures represent noble women. In the past, they have been interpreted as supernatural beings.
Provenance
John A. Stokes, Upper Nyack, NY, gift to James C. and Florence C. Gruener (?-1969); James C. [1903-1990] and Florence C. [1908-1982] Gruener, Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art (1969-1990); The Cleveland Museum of Art (1990)
Accession Number
1990.169
Medium
stone
Dimensions
Overall: 70 x 33 x 22.5 cm (27 9/16 x 13 x 8 7/8 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener