01 Photograph Gallery

02 Object Information

Description

Polychrome vase (orange, buff, cream, black and red) decorated with a palace scene, showing four characters (three men and one woman) engaged in what appears to be a diplomatic visit. Each one appears associated with secondary texts painted in red.

The central character is a robust man sitting on a bench with his body shown from the front and his head in left profile. He wears a white and red hip cloth, probably shell jewelry (painted white), and a headdress made of spotted feline skin, a large red feather, quetzal feathers, and a flower. With his right hand he aims to one of the gifts that two characters offer him.

The first, kneeling in front of him, presents several quetzal feathers. He wears a white hip cloth, simple jewelry, and covers his head with a red scarf that shows from under his wide-brimmed black hat. The second one, placed immediately behind – as if waiting his turn – is standing and holding a red bundle of cloth with both hands. He wears white hip cloth and an orange cloth belt with red dots, which match a hat decorated with the head of a long-beaked bird.

Behind the main character is a woman kneeling, holding a red vase with white rim (apparently with a text). She wears a beautiful white robe (dress) with a red band along the side and bare shoulders. Her face is decorated with red paint on her forehead and under her eyes. Long earrings, and ribbons on her tied-up hair, complete her beauty ensemble.

A very special highlight is the architectural representation of the room, as we can distinguish the columns or walls, the ceiling, the floor and the bench painted orange with a red cover. The curtains, suspended from the ceiling, frame the scene from above.

Period

CLASSIC (150/200 A.D.-900 A.D.) Late Classic (650-900 AD).

Provenance

Maya Lowlands

Medium / Material

Clay

Technique

Modeled, Painting, Slip

Dimensions

Height: 19.5 cm
Diameter: 11.5 cm

03 References and Exhibitions

References to similar objects

The vase is in the same style as other vases from Tikal (Dr. Dorie Reents-Budert, personal communication).

Exhibitions

1. Financiera de Occidente (October 2010 – April 2011)

2. On loan to the Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Costume (August 8, 2012 – August 28, 2015)

3. “MAYA: RULERS OF THE RAINFOREST”
Drents Museum, Assen, Netherlands (February 28 – September 4, 2016)
Historisches Museum der Pfalz, Speyer, Germany (October 2, 2016 – April 23, 2018)
Archaeological Museum of Alicante (MARQ), Spain (May 25, 2017 – January 7, 2018)

4. “MAYAS AT SANTO DOMINGO DEL CERRO”. Santo Domingo del Cerro Cultural Center, Antigua Guatemala (August 16, 2018 – April 20, 2019)

5. “MASTERPIECES OF THE PRE-COLUMBIAN ARTIST”. Santo Domingo del Cerro Cultural Center, Antigua Guatemala (since December 2019)

6. CIT Building Library, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (Special Collections Section). Lot #2: February 8, 2022 – May 20, 2025

7. “FLAVORS OF MESOAMERICA.” LATAM Quetzaltenango Hotel, Xelajuj Noj (May 30, 2025–May 30, 2026)

Publications

1. “Vestuario Milenario“. Diario Prensa Libre. 29 septiembre 2012. Guatemala. 

2. Paredes Maury, Sofía. Noviembre, 2018. “Los Vestidos Prehispánicos: Creatividad, innovación y colorido de la vestimenta maya” en Revista PubliRuta, sección CULTURA pág.10. Consorcio CRN, Guatemala.