Skip to main content

Pendant Depicting the Fat God

CultureOlmec
Date1200-800 B.C.E.
MediumCarved bone with red pigment traces
DimensionsOverall: 1 3/4 × 1 15/16 × 1 1/16 inches (4.45 × 4.92 × 2.7 cm)
Credit LineAnonymous gift
Object number81-56
On View
Not on view
DescriptionFine yellowed bone head of an Olmec deity with a hollowed-out back, fat cheeks, closed eyes symbolizing death, suspension holes at the top, and with a drilled hole in the back, which could have been used to store a substance used by the shaman in a religious ritual.
Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.


recto detail
6th century C.E.
65-20/2
recto overall
6th century C.E.
65-20/1
Azokouè
Romuald Hazoumè
2016
2017.52.2
side overall
ca. 1585-1590
2016.16
Emblem of the Leopard Society
early-mid-20th century
2005.36.A-D
pair overall
Kamada
Late 19th century
2019.13.1,2
recto overall
1911
2013.10.1.1
Royal Foot Rest
1911
2013.10.1.2
top overall
1911
2013.10.1.3.1-7
recto overall
1911
2013.10.2.1