Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener · The Cleveland Museum of Art
Image: public domain (CC0) · Museum record & image source ↗
Costa Rica · 300–500 CE
Mace Head
Creator not recorded by the museum
- Date
- 300–500 CE
- Medium
- pecked and polished gray stone
- Dimensions
- Overall: 4.2 x 7.3 x 13.6 cm (1 5/8 x 2 7/8 x 5 3/8 in.)
- Country / context
- Costa Rica
- Movement / tradition
- Central and South American arts
- Collection
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Pathway
- Central and South American arts ↗
FROM THE MUSEUM
Once mounted on wooden shafts, elaborately shaped mace (club) heads like this one probably were not used as weapons. Rather, they could have served as emblems of chiefly authority, group insignia, the heads of ceremonial weapons, or all three. They eventually were placed in elite graves. The back-curled nose on this example may refer to a crocodile or caiman.
Collection text · The Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0A MOMENT TO LOOK
Start with what you can see: shapes, surface, colour and scale. How might the listed materials affect the way this object was made and experienced?
Looking prompt · an invitation to observe, not a historical interpretation.Follow a connection.
Explore the tradition ↗
↗Peru, North Coast, Chongoyape(?), Chavín style (900-200 BCE) · c. 500–200 BCE
Plaque
Creator not recorded
↗Peru, North Coast, Moche style · 200–550 CE
Portrait Head Vessel
Creator not recorded
↗Peru, North Coast, Moche style · c. 200–550 CE
Portrait Head Vessel
Creator not recorded
↗Guatemala or Mexico, Usumacinta River region, Maya style · c. 795
Panel with Royal Woman
Creator not recorded