The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

Architectural Model

100 BCE–300 CE

Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala

serpentine
Overall: 7.3 x 4.7 x 3.4 cm (2 7/8 x 1 7/8 x 1 5/16 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener 1990.186
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The Mezcala style is only identified in stone sculpture.

Description

The Mezcala style takes its name from a river in its homeland, the Guerrero region of western Mexico. The style is known for small-scale stone sculptures including architectural “models” characterized by sleek abstraction. Because comparisons to actual architecture in the Mezcala region are scarce, it is not known whether the models refer to temples, houses, or underground funerary structures.
  • ?-1962
    (Frances Pratt, Inc., New York, NY, 1962, sold to James C. and Florence C. Gruener
    1962-1990
    James C. [1903-1990] and Florence C. [1908-1982] Gruener, Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1990
    The Cleveland Museum of Art
  • Young-Sánchez, Margaret. “The Gruener Collection of Pre-Columbian Art.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 79, no. 7 (September 1992): 234–275. Mentioned: p. 269, no. 39 www.jstor.org
  • Long-term loan/5 years (renewable to 10 years. Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley, MA (organizer) (January 27, 2000-April 1, 2005).
    Wellesley, MA: Davis Museum and Cutural Center; Long-term loan/5 years (renewable to 10 years). Shipped on January 27, 2000.
  • {{cite web|title=Architectural Model|url=false|author=|year=100 BCE–300 CE|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1990.186