Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
The Olmecs were among the world's finest carvers of jadeite, a very hard stone that they worked without the advantage of metal tools. The remarkable thinness of this tiny mask emphasizes the stunning translucency of the blue-green mineral. Worn as body adornment, the pendant renders the typical Olmec-style face with wide, flat nose and down-turned mouth recalling a jaguar's snarl. This combination of human and animal features is an Olmec artistic convention for depicting supernatural beings. As the portrayal of a spirit being or god, the pendant would imply the wearer's connection to the supernatural. The high quality of the jadeite and its exceptionally fine carving indicate the wearer's high status.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
80386
label
Maskette Pendant
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
80386
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Maskette Pendant
description
The Olmecs were among the world's finest carvers of jadeite, a very hard stone that they worked without the advantage of metal tools. The remarkable thinness of this tiny mask emphasizes the stunning translucency of the blue-green mineral. Worn as body adornment, the pendant renders the typical Olmec-style face with wide, flat nose and down-turned mouth recalling a jaguar's snarl. This combination of human and animal features is an Olmec artistic convention for depicting supernatural beings. As the portrayal of a spirit being or god, the pendant would imply the wearer's connection to the supernatural. The high quality of the jadeite and its exceptionally fine carving indicate the wearer's high status.
provenance
Throckmorton Fine Art, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; John G. Bourne, 1990s, by purchase; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 2017.
date
n.d.
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Stone
masks (costume)
pendants
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
2.2
height
2
depth
0.5
dimensionsRaw
H: 7/8 x W: 13/16 x D: 3/16 in. (2.2 x 2 x 0.5 cm)
Source extras
cul
Olmec style
med
jadeite
creator_ids
15517
collection_ids
AME
exhibition_ids
2988
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
3b7e68c8377f6721