Cleveland Museum of Art

Head Effigy Bowl

Date

100 BCE–300 CE

Medium

pottery

Culture

Mexico, Region of Tilantongo, District of Tlaxiaco, Nayarit style

Department

Art of the Americas

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

After about 200 BC, West Mexican chieftains gained in authority, their new status reflected in shaft tombs that shelter not only their remains but also lavish offerings, including sculptural ceramics. Many of the ceramics may refer to the crucial activities of a chief’s life, such as marriage, feasting, and war. The meaning of this unusual bowl—a head whose gaping mouth serves as the aperture—is unknown. Ancient Nayarit art is celebrated for its timeless, often lighthearted expressions of humanity.

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