Animal-Headed Figure Pendant
Unknown Artist
1–800 CE
Medium
cast gold
Dimensions
5.5 × 3.9 × 1.9 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
In memory of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Humphreys, gift of their daughter Helen
Accession Number
1947.15
About this artwork
The same creature, with a human body but the head of an animal, appears in both pendants. It holds batons to its mouth, and whiskers or ears flare from the sides of the head. The headdress domes are mystifying; they have been described as mushrooms or gourds, among other things.