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This rare mask incarnates a supernatural being who may have been the patron of an early fertility cult on Peru’s south coast. Its traits insinuate power, especially the stuck-out tongue and the serpents that slither over the face to form a halo-like corona. Unexplained are the shape of the nose and the small figure wearing a similar mask. The mask could have served as the face of a mummy bundle or an object; the projecting eyes might rule out use by a living performer.
Page data
- Page
- 1
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 7c7f8428885275ca
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 162912
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
{
"id": "162912",
"contentType": "object",
"title": "Oculate Being Mask",
"description": "This rare mask incarnates a supernatural being who may have been the patron of an early fertility cult on Peru’s south coast. Its traits insinuate power, especially the stuck-out tongue and the serpents that slither over the face to form a halo-like corona. Unexplained are the shape of the nose and the small figure wearing a similar mask. The mask could have served as the face of a mummy bundle or an object; the projecting eyes might rule out use by a living performer.",
"date": "300 BCE–1 CE (thermoluminescence date, 835 BC–185 CE)",
"citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2003.39",
"rights": "CC0",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"wikidata": [
"Q60759461"
],
"genreSpecific": [
"Ceramic"
],
"iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2003.39/2003.39_web.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2003.39/2003.39_web.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2003.39/2003.39_web.jpg",
"imageCount": 1,
"source": "import",
"dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 23.6 x 22.5 x 13.2 cm (9 5/16 x 8 7/8 x 5 3/16 in.)",
"cul": [
"Peru, South Coast, Paracas (Cavernas) style (700 BCE–1 CE)"
],
"accession": "2003.39"
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "162912",
"label": "Oculate Being Mask",
"core": "obj",
"dtoType": "object"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "162912",
"contentType": "object",
"title": "Oculate Being Mask",
"description": "This rare mask incarnates a supernatural being who may have been the patron of an early fertility cult on Peru’s south coast. Its traits insinuate power, especially the stuck-out tongue and the serpents that slither over the face to form a halo-like corona. Unexplained are the shape of the nose and the small figure wearing a similar mask. The mask could have served as the face of a mummy bundle or an object; the projecting eyes might rule out use by a living performer.",
"date": "300 BCE–1 CE (thermoluminescence date, 835 BC–185 CE)",
"citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2003.39",
"rights": "CC0",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"wikidata": [
"Q60759461"
],
"genreSpecific": [
"Ceramic"
],
"iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2003.39/2003.39_web.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2003.39/2003.39_web.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2003.39/2003.39_web.jpg",
"imageCount": 1,
"source": "import",
"dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 23.6 x 22.5 x 13.2 cm (9 5/16 x 8 7/8 x 5 3/16 in.)",
"cul": [
"Peru, South Coast, Paracas (Cavernas) style (700 BCE–1 CE)"
],
"accession": "2003.39"
}
Document source extras
{
"tec": "ceramic, resin-based paint",
"tombstone": "Oculate Being Mask, 300 BCE–1 CE (thermoluminescence date, 835 BC–185 CE). Peru, South Coast, Paracas (Cavernas) style (700 BCE–1 CE). Ceramic, resin-based paint; overall: 23.6 x 22.5 x 13.2 cm (9 5/16 x 8 7/8 x 5 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 2003.39",
"collection": "AA - Andes",
"citations": [
{
"citation": "Bergh, Susan E., \"Ancient Eyes\", Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine</em>. Vol. 44 no. 06, Summer 2004",
"page_number": "Mentioned & reproduced: p. 8-9",
"url": "https://archive.org/details/CMAMM2004-06/page/n7"
},
{
"citation": "Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine</em>. Vol. 53 no. 03, May/June 2013",
"page_number": "Mentioned and reproduced: p. 10",
"url": "https://archive.org/details/CMAMM2013-03/page/10"
}
],
"url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2003.39",
"creditline": "Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund",
"updatedAt": "2026-05-29 08:28:03.226000",
"imageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2003.39/2003.39_print.jpg",
"sourceId": 162912,
"dept": "Art of the Americas",
"coll": "AA - Andes",
"med": "ceramic, resin-based paint",
"thumbnail_url": null,
"image_url": null
}
Page context
{
"seq": 1,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2003.39/2003.39_web.jpg",
"mediaId": "7c7f8428885275ca"
}