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Pectoral Ornament
c. 1200-1519
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
This unusual pendant comprises a polished jade plaque carved in the shape of the cross section of a conch shell and a delicate gold frame with tiny dangling bells. The cut conch was a jewel worn by Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent), an Aztec culture hero and supernatural creature closely associated with the wind that brings rain clouds and new life. The pendant may have been found with a set of obsidian ear ornaments (1990.191).
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Details
- Title: Pectoral Ornament
- Date Created: c. 1200-1519
- Physical Dimensions: Overall: 8 x 7.2 cm (3 1/8 x 2 13/16 in.)
- Provenance: (André Emmerich, Inc., New York, NY, 1966, sold to James C. and Florence C. Gruener), James C. Gruener [1903-1990], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Type: Jewelry
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1983.190
- Medium: gold, jadeite
- Fun Fact: Known for their exquisite craftsmanship, this piece is a rare example of Mixtec gold work, much of which was destroyed during the Spanish conquest.
- Department: Art of the Americas
- Culture: Mexico, Guerrero, Ichcatiopan, Mixtec or Aztec style
- Credit Line: Gift of James C. Gruener in memory of his wife, Florence Crowell Gruener
- Collection: AA - Mesoamerica
- Accession Number: 1983.190
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