Sacrificer (400–1000): Art, History and Details
Sacrificer at the Cleveland Museum of Art: 400–1000, carved bone. Explore the work's context, creator attribution and collection history.
Sacrificer (400–1000) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.
The work and its context
The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:
Holding an axe in one hand, a human head in the other, this figurine depicts a ritual sacrificer. His fierce mask probably portrays either a puma or a fox. Incised patterns on the figure's body and headdress indicate elaborate tapestry garments. The ancient rituals embodied by this small carving must have been both visually spectacular and emotionally powerful.
Object facts
- Title: Sacrificer
- Date: 400–1000
- Culture: Bolivia, Peru or Chile, Southern Highlands, early Tiwanaku style, 400-1000
- Type: Sculpture
- Technique: carved bone
- Dimensions: Overall: 5.1 cm (2 in.)
- Collection: AA - Andes
- Department: Art of the Americas
- Accession number: 1996.293
Collection credit
John L. Severance Fund
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.
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