Vessel with Butterfly Motif
Artist:
Unknown
Place made:Mexico
General region:North and Central America
Culture: Teotihuacan
Period: Pre-Columbian
Date: ca. A.D. 600
Medium: Earthenware
Dimensions:
height: 4 7/16 in. (11.2 cm)
diameter: 4 13/16 in. (12.3 cm)
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art,, gift of Mrs. A. A. Seeligson, Sr.
Object number: 77.1119
Provenance: with Mrs. A. A. Seeligson, Sr. (Ramona Frates Seeligson) (1898-1998), San Antonio, TX, by 1977; by gift to the Witte Museum, San Antonio, TX, 1977; by transfer to the San Antonio Museum of Art, 1994
Label Text
The body of this vessel was likely made from a mold to produce the motif that appears twice on it. The motif is referred to at the "butteryfly motif," which is associated with the site of Teotihuacan. Here the butterfly likely gives reference to warriors. At the very center of the glyph is a cartouche in which appears several bars and dots. The meaning of this specific motif is debated, as some scholars have interpreted as an abstract portrait, while others suggest it is a glyph-like reference to time (Bernadette Cap and Shelby Jordan, 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.
