Name/Title
Pendant, face with ringed eyes and open rectangular mouth, glossy grey-brown surfaceEntry/Object ID
2025.1.438Description
A flat, irregularly rounded plaque, a little taller than wide, broadest at the cheeks and narrowing slightly toward a rounded chin. One hole is pierced through the top edge for suspension. No cord is present.
The face is modeled in low relief:
Brow: a low horizontal ridge across the forehead, with a short raised bar above it near the top.
Eyes: two round eyes, each a raised ring around a domed eyeball with a small squarish pupil pressed into it.
Nose: a broad, low bridge between the eyes, ending in a shallow nostril area with small pits.
Cheeks: a ridge runs from each side of the nose down and out toward the jaw, framing the lower face.
Mouth: a large open mouth shaped like a rounded rectangle, made of two or three concentric frames stepping inward to a small central bar.
Surface: a glossy grey-brown to taupe coat with a metallic, lustrous sheen, brightest where it has pooled along the edges of the relief. Fine dark specks run throughout. An orange-red body shows at the top edge beside the hole, and the bottom edge has a dark brown-black area. There is a small white spot at the right corner of the mouth.Item Type
PendantStyle
Pre-ColumbianContext
As with the clay pendant recorded on 5 October, this face fits the Taíno vocabulary of wide eyes and an open mouth that the Metropolitan Museum describes for zemí imagery. ⚠️ That is a resemblance in style, not a source.Collection
The Cabrera Arús family collection, María A. Arús Caraballo collectionMade/Created
Place
Country
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaRelationships
Related Places
Place
City
HavanaCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaCreated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
October 9, 2026Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
October 9, 2026