| Object Name: |
Jade bat's head depicting Murcielago, god of night and death |
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| Creation Date: |
150 BC-100 AD |
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| Culture: |
Zapotec |
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| Site: |
Monte Alban |
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| Material: |
Jade with eyes and teeth of shell |
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| Repository: |
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| Image source: |
CSULA Art Dept Visual Resources |
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| Bats were prominent motifs in Oaxaca, Mexico, where the bat is the avatar of a beneficient deity related to maize. The bat is the only mammal that truly flies (other "flying" mammals only glide). Such uncommon traits give these animals special symbolic significance. Bats are shamanic creatures in many cultures. The most spectacular piece found near the east side of Building H in Monte Alban is a jade bat mask worn as a pectoral. Its 25 separate pieces of beautifully polished dark green jade fitted neatly together to form a human face disguised as a bat, with eyes and teeth of shell. |
