Skip to Main Content
No image availableNo image available

Birdstone

1500–1000 BCE
Stone (black-and-white porphyry?)
Overall: 5.1 x 3.2 cm (2 x 1 1/4 in.)
Private Collection 2.2018
Location: not on view
This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Download, Print and Share

Description

Archaic-period birdstones, distributed widely in the Great Lakes region, are thought to be weights that were lashed to spear-throwers to improve control of the weapons. Given their artistry and craftsmanship, they may also have been emblems of prestige, talismans that heightened a hunter’s luck, or clan symbols. This example is said to have been found in modern-day Michigan.
Birdstone

Birdstone

1500–1000 BCE

Native North America, Northeastern Woodlands artists, Great Lakes, Michigan?

See Also

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.