Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head
Unknown Artist
c. 4700–2920 BCE
Medium
jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
h. 13.2 cm · 14.6 × 6 × 4.1 cm
Classification
Jade
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Severance A. Millikin
Accession Number
1953.628
About this artwork
With a bovine head and four horns, this seated figurine was a powerful ritual and shamanic symbol. Drill holes above its shoulders form two interconnected perforations for suspension, suggesting that the jade was originally used as a pendant, presumably by the shaman performing the tasks of journeying to and communicating with the supernatural realms.