Head Fragment
This sensual head fragment may come from a seated or standing figure like those shown nearby, though much larger. The carving is exceptionally fine, from the slight under-eye puffiness to the delineation of the fleshy lips and the teeth. The profile face of supernatural being is incised just in front of each ear, perhaps indicating that the subject had special power.
Details
- Palette
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- Medium
- jadeite
- Dimensions
- overall: height 0.074 m, width 0.062 m, depth 0.05 m
- Origin
- Mesoamerica, Mexico, Olmec
- Department
- Art of the Americas
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
11 tags
Subject Matter
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Face Both · 99%
The image is dominated by a modeled frontal face, and the museum identifies the object as a head fragment.
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Human Figure Both · 93%
The object is a human-like sculpted head, and the museum notes that it may have come from a larger seated or standing figure.
Visual Qualities
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Smooth Surface Visual · 94%
The visible jadeite surface is highly smoothed and subtly reflective across the forehead, cheeks, nose, lips, and chin.
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Cracked Visual · 90%
Fine cracks and irregular brownish surface marks are visible across the cheeks, jaw, and lower portion of the object.
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Symmetrical Visual · 89%
The face is organized around a strong vertical centerline with broadly balanced ears, eyes, cheeks, and jaw.
Medium and Techniques
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Sculpture Both · 99%
The object is a three-dimensional carved head fragment; the museum classifies it as Jade and records jadeite as the medium.
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Carving Both · 99%
The museum explicitly describes the carving as exceptionally fine, while the image shows modeled facial planes and incised or recessed details.
Time Periods
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Ancient Art Metadata · 96%
The catalog date, approximately 900–300 BCE, places the work in the ancient period.
Geographic Regions
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Mexican Art Metadata · 97%
The recorded place of origin is Mesoamerica, Mexico, Olmec.
Materials
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Stone Metadata · 93%
The catalog identifies jadeite as the medium; jadeite is a hard stone material.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Pre-Columbian Art Metadata · 98%
The museum dates the work to approximately 900–300 BCE and places it in Mesoamerica, Mexico, in an Olmec context.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Head Fragment. Cleveland Museum of Art.