Plaque Pendant of Ruler and Two Serpent Heads300–900 CE

On view:

Geffen Galleries

Title: Plaque Pendant of Ruler and Two Serpent Heads
Culture: Maya
Place Made
Date Made: 300–900 CE
Medium: Greenstone
Dimensions: 2 1/5 x 2 3/10 x 3/10 in. (5.588 x 5.842 x 0.762 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by Camilla Chandler Frost
Accession Number: M.2010.115.246
Classification: Stone
Collecting Area: Art of the Ancient Americas
Curatorial Notes: One side of this greenstone plaque features a carved image of a human face bedecked in jade finery: a jeweled headband, a set of earspools, and a beaded necklace. Two serpent heads occupy the space underneath the face, as if the artist adapted the imagery to the existing shape of the stone. On the other side of the plaque, an unfinished carving appears to depict the outline of another face wearing regalia, but the artist abandoned this project before completion. Multiple holes have been drilled around the edges of the object, suggesting its use as a pendant or perhaps an appliqué on clothing. Greenstone plaque pendants like this one have been found in ceremonial deposits, such as the Sacred Cenote at Chichen Itza, as well as in contexts outside of the Maya area, suggesting widespread interest in their trade and exchange.

Alyce de Carteret

2024

On view:

Geffen Galleries

Title: Plaque Pendant of Ruler and Two Serpent Heads
Culture: Maya
Place Made
Date Made: 300–900 CE
Medium: Greenstone
Dimensions: 2 1/5 x 2 3/10 x 3/10 in. (5.588 x 5.842 x 0.762 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by Camilla Chandler Frost
Accession Number: M.2010.115.246
Classification: Stone
Collecting Area: Art of the Ancient Americas
Curatorial Notes: One side of this greenstone plaque features a carved image of a human face bedecked in jade finery: a jeweled headband, a set of earspools, and a beaded necklace. Two serpent heads occupy the space underneath the face, as if the artist adapted the imagery to the existing shape of the stone. On the other side of the plaque, an unfinished carving appears to depict the outline of another face wearing regalia, but the artist abandoned this project before completion. Multiple holes have been drilled around the edges of the object, suggesting its use as a pendant or perhaps an appliqué on clothing. Greenstone plaque pendants like this one have been found in ceremonial deposits, such as the Sacred Cenote at Chichen Itza, as well as in contexts outside of the Maya area, suggesting widespread interest in their trade and exchange.

Alyce de Carteret

2024