Figurine Head Fragment (1–550 CE): Art, History and Details

Figurine Head Fragment (1–550 CE) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The use of press molds at Teotihuacan permitted mass production of elaborately costumed human figurines. Lavishly ornamented headdresses are also worn by figures depicted on Teotihuacan's fresco-painted walls.

Object facts

• Title: Figurine Head Fragment
• Date: 1–550 CE
• Culture: Central Mexico, Teotihuacán style, Classic period
• Type: Ceramic
• Technique: molded earthenware with pigment
• Dimensions: Overall: 6.2 x 6.7 x 2.2 cm (2 7/16 x 2 5/8 x 7/8 in.)
• Collection: AA - Mesoamerica
• Department: Art of the Americas
• Accession number: 1951.162

A detail from the museum

Showy rows of sculpted feathers may represent those of the shimmering green quetzal bird.

Collection credit

The Norweb Collection

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.