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Source Description
After about 200 BC, West Mexican chieftains gained in authority, their new status reflected in shaft tombs that shelter not only their remains but also lavish offerings, including sculptural ceramics. Many of the ceramics may refer to the crucial activities of a chief’s life, such as marriage, feasting, and war. The meaning of this unusual bowl—a head whose gaping mouth serves as the aperture—is unknown.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
155478
label
Head Effigy Bowl
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
155478
contentType
object
title
Head Effigy Bowl
description
After about 200 BC, West Mexican chieftains gained in authority, their new status reflected in shaft tombs that shelter not only their remains but also lavish offerings, including sculptural ceramics. Many of the ceramics may refer to the crucial activities of a chief’s life, such as marriage, feasting, and war. The meaning of this unusual bowl—a head whose gaping mouth serves as the aperture—is unknown.
date
100 BCE–300 CE
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79943606
genreSpecific
Ceramic
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 12.7 x 15.9 x 20.1 cm (5 x 6 1/4 x 7 15/16 in.)
cul
Mexico, Region of Tilantongo, District of Tlaxiaco, Nayarit style
accession
1990.2
Source extras
tec
pottery
tombstone
Head Effigy Bowl, 100 BCE–300 CE. Mexico, Region of Tilantongo, District of Tlaxiaco, Nayarit style. Pottery; overall: 12.7 x 15.9 x 20.1 cm (5 x 6 1/4 x 7 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener, 1990.200
collection
AA - Mesoamerica
didYouKnow
Ancient Nayarit art is celebrated for its timeless, often lighthearted expressions of humanity.
citations
citation
Young-Sánchez, Margaret. "The Gruener Collection of Pre-Columbian Art." <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 79, no. 7 (1992): 234-75.
page_number
Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 246
creditline
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:02:56.800000
sourceId
155478
dept
Art of the Americas
coll
AA - Mesoamerica
med
pottery
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
8ac1e04f3cd4b3f9