Spoon with Incised Designs
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
The Olmec, whose civilization flourished on the Gulf Coast of Mexico from 1200 to 400 B.C.E., excelled at jade carving. The rarity, beauty, and hardness of the stone, with its variety of colors ranging from light green to a rich blue green, made it a desirable material for small objects. Jade was symbolically related to water, plants, and fertility. Spoons, often with incised designs, were likely used by shamans to ingest hallucinogens that induced visions and allowed them to communicate with the supernatural world. The shape of the plaque seen here is interpreted as a corn symbol, an indication of the crop’s importance. Images incised on Olmec celts (ceremonial axes) show figures wearing plaques like this one as headdress ornaments.
Caption
Olmec. Spoon with Incised Designs, 800–500 B.C.E.. Jade, red pigment, 5 x 1 3/16 x 5/16 in. (12.7 x 3 x 0.8 cm). Collection of Christopher B. Martin, Dana B. Martin and Catherine S. Martin, L73.15.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, L73.15.1_transp5629.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Spoon with Incised Designs
Date
800–500 B.C.E.
Period
Preclassic Period or Middle Formative
Geography
Place found: Veracruz, Mexico
Medium
Jade, red pigment
Classification
Dimensions
5 x 1 3/16 x 5/16 in. (12.7 x 3 x 0.8 cm)
Credit Line
Collection of Christopher B. Martin, Dana B. Martin and Catherine S. Martin
Accession Number
L73.15.1
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
How do you date jadeite objects? (You can't radiocarbon date jadeite since it's not organic, right?)
You are right! Radiocarbon dating only works for organic material. When it comes to dating these objects, controlled archaeological excavation is the best way to determine dating. By excavating objects this way, we can begin to assemble dating systems by associating them with dated organic material found in the same context and/or grouping them by style. These objects feature the distinctive iconography and craftsmanship of the Olmec.
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