Stone Pulidor
Unknown Artist
before 16th century
Medium
Stone
Dimensions
Length 1-7/8 in.
Classification
Stone-Implements
Culture
Mexican
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Arthur M. Bullowa, 1993
Accession Number
1994.35.296
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, this **Stone Pulidor** hails from ancient Mexican culture, crafted before the 16th century. Measuring just 1-7/8 inches in length, this unassuming stone tool exemplifies the ingenuity of pre-Columbian artisans. Bequeathed by Arthur M. Bullowa in 1993, it offers a tangible link to the everyday technologies of Mesoamerican societies. As a **stone implement**, the pulidor—meaning "polisher" in Spanish—was essential for smoothing and refining surfaces on ceramics, jade, or other materials. Its com...