Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head
With a bovine head and four horns, this seated figurine was a powerful ritual and shamanic symbol. Drill holes above its shoulders form two interconnected perforations for suspension, suggesting that the jade was originally used as a pendant, presumably by the shaman performing the tasks of journeying to and communicating with the supernatural realms.
Details
- Palette
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- Medium
- jade (nephrite)
- Dimensions
- overall: height 0.132 m; No Extent Specified: height 0.146 m, width 0.06 m, depth 0.041 m
- Department
- Chinese Art
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Gift of Severance A. Millikin
Art Genome Taxonomy
12 tags
Subject Matter
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Animals Both · 99%
The image clearly shows an animal-headed figure, and the catalog specifically identifies the head as bovine.
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Mysticism, Shamanism, and the Occult Metadata · 92%
The catalog describes the bovine-headed figure as a powerful ritual and shamanic symbol associated with journeying to and communicating with supernatural realms.
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Talismanic Metadata · 95%
The title identifies the work as an amulet, and the catalog proposes that its perforations allowed it to be suspended as a pendant.
Visual Qualities
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Symmetrical Visual · 91%
The frontal figure is organized around a largely bilateral, vertically centered structure, especially in the paired horns and bent legs.
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Curvilinear Forms Visual · 92%
The figure is built from rounded, swelling contours in the horns, head, limbs, and lower body rather than angular planes.
Medium and Techniques
Time Periods
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Prehistoric Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies the object as Neolithic and dates it to approximately 4700–2920 BCE, placing it within prehistoric art.
Geographic Regions
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Chinese Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog gives the place of origin as Northeast China and classifies the work under Chinese Art.
Materials
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Stone Metadata · 94%
The recorded medium is jade, specifically nephrite, which is represented here by the catalog's broader stone-material category.
Tableware, Vessels, and Objects
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Figurine Metadata · 99%
The catalog title and description identify the object as a seated figurine.
Antiquities, Artifacts, and Religious Objects
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Ceremonial Object Metadata · 86%
The catalog characterizes the object as a ritual and shamanic symbol, supporting its classification as a ceremonial object.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head. Cleveland Museum of Art.