Bat-Nosed Figures Pendant

Description

Both pendants depict paired figures with tusklike noses. The "tusks" perhaps refer to the upswept nose of the leaf-nosed bat, an agile hunter whose "leaf" helps it to snatch prey from midair. The bat's success as a hunter is part of the reason that some identify such paired figures as warriors. They each hold a paddle-shaped object; the larger pair, in elaborate costumes, also clutches staffs.

Provenance

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Bat-Nosed Figures Pendant

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1000–1550

Accession Number

1998.2

Medium

cast gold

Dimensions

Overall: 7.2 x 11.8 x 2.3 cm (2 13/16 x 4 5/8 x 7/8 in.)

Classification

Metalwork

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund