Effigy Plummet, Form of Turtle Head or Bird
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
These plummets (hanging weights, sometimes used on fishing lines) are among more than three hundred that have been found in a site north of Weeden Island, Florida. Their abundance has led to the theory that they were probably not simple fishing tools but ornaments suspended from the neck or waist of high-status individuals (or perhaps commoners) during special ceremonial dances. Often they are plain tapered stones, but rare figurative examples such as these three represent local wildlife.
Caption
Woodlands, Deptford culture. Effigy Plummet, Form of Turtle Head or Bird, 200–500 C.E.. Stone, 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (8.9 x 8.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. William B. Parker, 64.211.1. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Effigy Plummet, Form of Turtle Head or Bird
Date
200–500 C.E.
Period
Middle Woodland Period
Geography
Place made: probably near Tampa, Florida, United States
Medium
Stone
Classification
Dimensions
3 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (8.9 x 8.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. William B. Parker
Accession Number
64.211.1
Frequent Art Questions
What is this?
This is an effigy plummet by a Woodlands artist of the Deptford culture. It may have been used as a weight, either for fishing or weaving, or worn as a personal adornment. It comes from Florida and is just under two thousand years old.The plummets are fairly naturalistic depictions of animals native to the Floridian region. Hundreds of these plummets have been found to date.
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