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Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head

c. 4700–2920 BCE

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

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.

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Details

  • Title: Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head
  • Date Created: c. 4700–2920 BCE
  • Physical Dimensions: Overall: 13.2 cm (5 3/16 in.)
  • Provenance: John L. Severance [1863-1936], Cleveland, OH, Severance A. Millikin [1895-1985], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Jade
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1953.628
  • Medium: jade (nephrite)
  • Fun Fact: CMA daringly acquired this masterpiece without knowing exactly what it was. Only after Chinese archaeologists started excavating similar jades in Northeast China could it be attributed to the Hongshan culture.
  • Department: Chinese Art
  • Culture: Northeast China, Neolithic period, probably Hongshan culture (4700–2920 BCE)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Severance A. Millikin
  • Collection: China - Neolithic
  • Accession Number: 1953.628

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