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Source Description
Containers made of translucent white travertine, known among the later Aztecs as <em>tecali</em>, are rare in Olmec artistic production. The shape of this elegant example, its rim pinched inward at the center, may refer to a squash. The meaning of the deeply carved abstract motifs, which retain traces of red pigment, is unknown. The bowl is said to have been found in a burial cache that included an Olmec figurine, a hematite mirror, and jade ornaments in Guerrero, Mexico.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
170780
label
Carved Bowl
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
170780
contentType
object
title
Carved Bowl
description
Containers made of translucent white travertine, known among the later Aztecs as <em>tecali</em>, are rare in Olmec artistic production. The shape of this elegant example, its rim pinched inward at the center, may refer to a squash. The meaning of the deeply carved abstract motifs, which retain traces of red pigment, is unknown. The bowl is said to have been found in a burial cache that included an Olmec figurine, a hematite mirror, and jade ornaments in Guerrero, Mexico.
date
1200–300 BCE
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60752383
genreSpecific
Stone
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 13.3 x 23.5 x 10.2 cm (5 1/4 x 9 1/4 x 4 in.)
cul
Mesoamerica, reportedly the Tepecoacuilco River Valley, Guerrero, Olmec style (1200-300 BC), Formative Period
accession
2013.29
Source extras
tec
stone (travertine)
tombstone
Carved Bowl, 1200–300 BCE. Mesoamerica, reportedly the Tepecoacuilco River Valley, Guerrero, Olmec style (1200-300 BC), Formative Period. Stone (travertine); overall: 13.3 x 23.5 x 10.2 cm (5 1/4 x 9 1/4 x 4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 2013.29
collection
AA - Mesoamerica
didYouKnow
Travertine is a type of limestone deposit commonly found in caves and hot springs.
citations
citation
Bergh, Susan E. “2013 Acquisitions: Pre-Columbian Art.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine</em> 54, no. 2 (March/April 2014): 23.
page_number
Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 23
creditline
John L. Severance Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:46:06.829000
sourceId
170780
dept
Art of the Americas
coll
AA - Mesoamerica
med
stone (travertine)
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
62341a13a8fae9f4