Spear Thrower
Unknown Artist
200 BCE–200 CE
Medium
bone, hematite, cotton thread, sinew
Dimensions
5.8 × 2 cm, l. 48.3 cm
Classification
Arms and Armor
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Norweb Collection
Accession Number
1940.507
About this artwork
Spear throwers improve a spear's range and thrust. The spear was placed against the stone pivot and hurled using the thumb rest, carved as a figure with a skeletal chest, back-bent head, and a severed human head at its rear. This figure, frequent in art, is not well understood, but its appearance here suggests a connection to death. The shaft's carving makes clever use of the bone's marrow cavity.