Bi-pointed Biface
Artist:
Unknown
Place made:Mexico
General region:North and Central America
Culture: Teotihuacan
Period: Pre-Columbian
Date: ca. A.D. 100-700
Medium: Obsidian
Dimensions:
length: 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm)
width: 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, Gift of Gordon W. Friedrich
Object number: 38.116.111.1
Provenance: with Gordon W. Friedrich, San Antonio, TX, by 1938; by gift to the Witte Museum, San Antonio, TX, 1938; by transfer to the San Antonio Museum of Art, 1994
Label Text
This bipointed bifacial knife is made of obsidian, also referred to as "volcanic glass" due its chemical and physical similarities to man-made glass. The edges created by breaking obsidian can be as thin as a surgical blades. To the naked eye, this knife shows no sign of use as a tool. It was likely used in ceremonies and deposited within a cache or burial (Bernadette Cap, 2022).
On view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
