Staff Head(?)
400–700
- Medium
- cast gold
- Dimensions
- Overall: 8.3 x 7.2 x 2.4 cm (3 1/4 x 2 13/16 x 15/16 in.)
- Genre
- metalwork
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Styles
Tags
Colombia or Panama, International style, 5th-8th Century
About
The two-headed beast that crouches on the top of this object-perhaps a staff finial (head)-holds a human head or perhaps a mask between its paws. The silken surface and simple, elegant design identify the finial as of the International style, so-called because it crossed ancient boundaries and is found in Colombia as well as Costa Rica and Panama.