Closed Yoke
Unknown Artist
7th–9th century
Medium
Basalt (andesite, feldspar/diopside (?))
Dimensions
H. 18 13/16 x 1W. 5 x D. 4 1/4 in. (47.9 x 38.1 x 10.8 cm)
Classification
Stone-Sculpture
Culture
Veracruz
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
Accession Number
1979.206.445
Art Historical Context
This striking *Closed Yoke* from, Mexico, dates to the7th–9th, a vibrant period in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica the region's cultures flourished along the Gulf Coast. Carved from dense basalt—likely andesite with feldspar or diopside—the sculpture measures about 19 inches high, 13 inches wide, and 4 deep, its substantial form evoking the strength of the stone itself. As a stone sculpture from the Arts of, Oceania, and the Americas, it exemplifies the masterful craftsmanship of anonymous Veracruz artisans, who shaped hard volcanic rock with precision using simple stone tools. Yokes like this were...