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Vessel with Butterfly Headdress
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The headdress shown on this vessel combines a serpent's mouth with a butterfly's proboscis (feeding tube), which curls between the eyes. The butterfly often appears in the headdress of the Great Goddess, an extremely important Teotihuacán deity. Stucco (paper-thin, painted plaster) is fragile and usually does not survive well; the stucco of the basin in this case has been repaired.
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, Classic period |
|---|---|
| Date | 1–550 CE |
| Culture / Origin | Central Mexico, Teotihuacán, Classic period |
| Medium | ceramic, stucco, pigment |
| Dimensions | Diameter: 15.6 x 15.8 cm (6 1/8 x 6 1/4 in.); Overall: 15.5 cm (6 1/8 in.) |
| Department | Art of the Americas |
| Type | Ceramic |
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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