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Source Description
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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
123806
label
Staff Head(?)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
123806
contentType
object
title
Staff Head(?)
description
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.
date
c. 400–700
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60750952
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 8.3 x 7.2 x 2.4 cm (3 1/4 x 2 13/16 x 15/16 in.)
cul
Colombia or Panama, International style, 5th-8th Century
accession
1944.319
Source extras
tec
cast gold
tombstone
Staff 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
collection
AA - Intermediate Region
citations
citation
Foote, Helen S. "A Gold Staff Head." <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, March 1945.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 31
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook.</em> Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 376
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 295
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 295
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 399
creditline
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 06:22:46.614000
sourceId
123806
dept
Art of the Americas
coll
AA - Intermediate Region
med
cast gold
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
f2ac9f59e0964ddc