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Pectoral

A work made of jadeite.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of jadeite.

Date:

200–800 CE

Artist:

Classic Maya
Mexico or Guatemala

About this artwork

This elegant chest ornament would have been part of a ruler’s ceremonial regalia. In Maya society, as among other Amerindian peoples, a ruler’s attire indicated rank, religious function, and place of origin. Such dress was highly regulated, and only members of the nobility wore jade and other greenstones as an expression of their wealth and high status. Moreover, these rare and valued stones were considered to be inherently sacred and powerful. By wearing jade regalia, kings directly associated themselves with the youthful green maize plant and life-giving blue-green waters.

Status

On View, Gallery 136

Department

Arts of the Americas

Culture

Maya

Title

Pectoral

Place

Mexico (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

200 CE–800 CE

Medium

Jadeite

Dimensions

7 × 7 cm (2 3/4 × 2 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Ada Turnbull Hertle Fund

Reference Number

1968.618

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/30374/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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