Celt, 1200-600 BCE
Not on view
Jade
Dimensions7 3/4 in. (19.7 cm)
Gift of Perry J. Lewis, 2017.204
Although most Olmec celts are simple and utilitarian, this ornately carved celt was likely ceremonial and never used as a tool. The figure’s face is a combination of human and animal features—notice the two large fangs protruding from the open mouth— indicating that it represents a supernatural being.
