Stone Janus Mace Head
Unknown Artist
11th–16th century
Medium
Stone
Dimensions
H. 3 15/16 x W. 4 3/8 x D. 2 1/8 in. (10 x 11.1 x 5.4 cm)
Classification
Stone-Implements
Culture
Michoacan (?)
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
1979.206.764
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the **Stone Janus Mace Head**, striking artifact from the Michoacán region (?) of Mexico, dating to the 11th–16th century. Crafted from stone and measuring just under 4 inches high, this compact yet formidable object was likely the business end of a ceremonial or functional mace—a weapon classified among stone implements in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas collection. "Janus" name evokes two-faced Roman god, hinting at dual visages carved into the stone, a motif symbolizing vigilance, duality, or divine protection in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican cul...