Lot 90A
Pre-Columbian, Mayan Territories, Honduras, Ulua Valley, ca. 550 to 900 CE. An exceptional polychrome pottery cylinder, finely painted on both the interior and exterior in hues of red, black, chocolate brown, and white on a tawny caramel hued ground, with an impressive iconographic program comprised of a large register that features five figures donning elaborate headdresses and ornate regalia, all in profile, the four larger figures extending their arms in animated gestures, the smaller one with his arms hanging in front, perhaps a gesture of submission as he most likely represents an attendant. Above and below are narrower black registers, probably signifying the darkness of the underworld, the upper one with frog egg symbols, representing fertility, rain and all the sustenance it provides, arranged in a definite pattern, the lower one with matt glyphs and frog egg motifs arranged in vertical rows of three, in alternating bands of two and three. The uppermost register contains five renderings of Kulkulkan, the Mayan version of the Quetzalcoatl, the infamous Mesoamerican "feathered serpent" deity of wind and sky. Beyond this, the interior features ten repeated plumed serpent heads underscored by chocolate brown and red bands. The pioneering artist/anthropologist Miguel Covarrubias, whose writings and illustrations on indigenous cultures of the ancient Americas continue to contribute to scholarly studies today attested to this deity's powerful symbolism in his writings, Quetzalcoatl stood for all that was good in this world: peace, art, wisdom, and prosperity. Disguised as an ant, he discovered maize, the staple food of the Indians, hidden under the mountain of Substance, Tonacatepetl; he also invented the arts, the sciences, and the calendar. In fact, everything connected with wisdom and culture was attributed to Quetzalcoatl. (Covarrubias, "Mexico South: The Isthmus of Tehuantepec", New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1946, 130). For the Maya, extraordinary painted ceramic vases like this example were gifted to elite individuals, akin to the gifts exchanged between high profile dignitaries today. A very special example, its iconography replete with layers of meaning, its painting technique virtually beyond compare. Size: 7.5" in diameter x 9.25" H (19 cm x 23.5 cm)
According to Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education scholars Dorie Reents-Budet and Ronald Bishop, "Today, when high-profile foreign dignitaries visit the White House, they can expect to attend grand dinners and to receive gifts, often custom-made by the best artists in the country. The gifts honor the visitor and showcase the giver's fine taste. In the days of the Classic Maya (A.D. 250-900), state-level gift-giving was little different, and no gift reflected more meaning or artistic expertise than the painted ceramic vase. Twenty years ago, the hieroglyphs, images, and even origins of these extraordinary vessels were little known. Now, advances in decipherment and chemical technology have made these vases invaluable for exploring the economic, political, and social exploits of the Maya. The vases, used both to serve food at feasts and as gifts presented at such events, were created by highly skilled painters who had mastered the intricacies of Classic Maya religious mythology, ideology, and history, and used hieroglyphic writing as both communication and visual poetry. Artists were highly regarded and often members of elite families." (Archaeology Archive, Vol. 56,Number 2, March/April 2003, abstract)
Provenance: Ex-Seattle, WA collection, acquired over 25 years ago
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#117447
- Condition: Re-assembled with losses as shown. Still, an incredibly well-executed piece with an extensive, finely painted iconographic program.
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