Mural Fragment with Elite Male and Maguey Cactus Leaves
This richly dressed elite male belonged to a row of identical figures who processed along the walls of a patio in one of Teotihuacán’s wealthy apartment compounds. He offers a chant or prayer, materialized in a mouth scroll, along with a flower-filled libation that cascades from one hand. In the other hand, he carries an incense bag. The thorny spines of the maguey cactus, in front and behind, may allude to the offering of precious blood and a ritual beverage made from the cactus’s sap (pulque, a less refined form of tequila). The spines are thrust into objects that may represent bundles or...
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Medium
- fresco on wall fragment
- Dimensions
- overall: height 0.832 m, width 1.162 m
- 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
12 tags
Subject Matter
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Human Figure Both · 99%
A prominent male figure is clearly visible in the fragment, and the catalog identifies him as an elite male.
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Flora Both · 98%
Repeated tall, pointed, spiny leaf-like forms frame the figure; the catalog identifies them as maguey cactus leaves.
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Related to Religion Metadata · 88%
The catalog describes a chant or prayer, a libation, incense, and possible blood offerings, indicating a ritual or religious context.
Visual Qualities
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Patterns Visual · 98%
Repeated geometric borders, dotted bands, zigzags, patterned garments, and ornamental motifs structure the surface.
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Linear Forms Visual · 95%
Strong dark outlines and repeated parallel strokes define the figure, headdress, costume, plants, and borders.
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Earth Tones Visual · 94%
The visible palette is dominated by muted red, rust, brown, and faded tan tones.
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Highly Ornamented Visual · 95%
The figure's headdress, costume, jewelry, and surrounding decorative bands are elaborately ornamented.
Medium and Techniques
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Painting Metadata · 99%
The Cleveland Museum of Art classifies the work as a painting and identifies the medium as fresco on a wall fragment.
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Fresco Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies the medium as fresco on a wall fragment.
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Murals and Wall Drawings Both · 98%
The image visibly preserves part of an architectural wall painting, and the catalog explicitly titles it a mural fragment.
Time Periods
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500 - 1000 CE Art Metadata · 99%
The work is dated 500–550 CE.
Geographic Regions
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Mexican Art Metadata · 96%
The recorded place of origin is Central Mexico, possibly the Tlacuilapaxco apartment compound.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Mural Fragment with Elite Male and Maguey Cactus Leaves. Cleveland Museum of Art.