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Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head
c. 4700–2920 BCE
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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