YOUR NEXT DISCOVERY/ArtifactsFollow your curiosity

Northeast China, Neolithic period, probably Hongshan culture (4700–2920 BCE) / c. 4700–2920 BCE

Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head

The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Amulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head as jade (Northeast China, Neolithic period, probably Hongshan culture (4700–2920 BCE) · c. 4700–2920 BCE).

WHY IT’S INTERESTING

CMA daringly acquired this masterpiece without knowing exactly what it was. Only after Chinese archaeologists started excavating similar jades in Northeast China could it be attributed to the Hongshan culture.

SERENDIPITYA little unexpected

FamiliarWeird

A CLOSER LOOK

The museum identifies this jade as jade (nephrite).

The museum's collection notes: With a bovine head and four horns, this seated figurine was a powerful ritual and shamanic symbol. Drill holes above its shoulders form two interconnected perforations for suspension, suggesting that the jade was originally used as a pendant, presumably by the shaman performing the tasks of journeying to and communicating with the supernatural realms.

FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

The Cleveland Museum of ArtAmulet in the Form of a Seated Figure with Bovine Head

Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.