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Source Description
The serpent covered with the green feathers of the tropical quetzal bird is an image of verdant, bountiful nature and life. It also may be a symbol of rulership, thus linking rulers to cosmic forces and the natural order. Four human hearts lie beneath the serpent on this unusually large basin, suggesting that sacrifice stimulates nature’s fruitfulness.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
141605
label
Basin with Feathered Serpent
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
141605
contentType
object
title
Basin with Feathered Serpent
description
The serpent covered with the green feathers of the tropical quetzal bird is an image of verdant, bountiful nature and life. It also may be a symbol of rulership, thus linking rulers to cosmic forces and the natural order. Four human hearts lie beneath the serpent on this unusually large basin, suggesting that sacrifice stimulates nature’s fruitfulness.
date
400–550 CE
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60755336
genreSpecific
Ceramic
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 16.2 x 34.5 x 34.5 cm (6 3/8 x 13 9/16 x 13 9/16 in.)
cul
Central Mexico, Teotihuacán style, Classic period
accession
1965.2
Source extras
tec
earthenware, stucco, pigment
tombstone
Basin with Feathered Serpent, 400–550 CE. Central Mexico, Teotihuacán style, Classic period. Earthenware, stucco, pigment; diameter: 16.2 x 34.5 x 34.5 cm (6 3/8 x 13 9/16 x 13 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1965.20
collection
AA - Mesoamerica
citations
citation
Schaafsma, Polly. "Quetzalcoatl and the Horned and Feathered Serpent of the Southwest." In <em>The Road to Aztlan: Art from a Mythic Homeland.</em> Virginia M. Fields, and Victor Zamudio-Taylor, eds., 138-149. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2001.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: P. 138-142
citation
Conides, Cynthia. <em>Made to Order: Painted Ceramics of Ancient Teotihuacan</em>. Norman : University of Oklahoma Press, 2018.
page_number
Reproduced and mentioned: p. 142, fig. 6.12
creditline
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 07:16:29.118000
sourceId
141605
dept
Art of the Americas
coll
AA - Mesoamerica
med
earthenware, stucco, pigment
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
8a3298050484ca57