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Celt with Deity

1000-300 BC

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

This ceremonial object has the head of a deity and a body shaped like an axe blade (celt) used to clear land for agriculture. The flared mouth, toothless gums, and fangs are typical of Olmec supernatural beings. The meaning of the body's "four-dots-and-a-bar" motif is unclear, but it sometimes appears in depictions of plants. The deity, then, seems to be associated with fertility.

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  • Title: Celt with Deity
  • Date Created: 1000-300 BC
  • Physical Dimensions: Overall: 32.2 x 14 x 11.5 cm (12 11/16 x 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 in.)
  • Type: Sculpture
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1954.856
  • Medium: stone
  • Department: Art of the Americas
  • Culture: Mexico, Olmec, 1200-300 BC
  • Credit Line: Gift of the Hanna Fund
  • Collection: AA - Mesoamerica
  • Accession Number: 1954.856
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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