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Mirror Back with Great Goddess
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An important female deity commands the watery scene on the back of this mirror. The face, bordered by ear ornaments and partially hidden by a nose ornament, appears beneath a huge headdress with the fringed eyes and curled proboscis of an abstract butterfly. The deity rests on a shell-studded water band and two adoring humans offer flowers or incense in a bag. Mirrors served as costume ornaments and perhaps were used in rituals to divine the unknown.
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, Classic Period |
|---|---|
| Date | 400–550 CE |
| Culture / Origin | Guatemala(?), Escuintla, Teotihuacán style, Classic Period |
| Medium | slate, pigment; other side originally inlaid with polished pyrite mirror |
| Dimensions | Overall: 20.1 x 0.2 cm (7 15/16 x 1/16 in.) |
| Department | Art of the Americas |
| Type | Sculpture |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
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