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Fine Mayan Carved Stucco Cylinder Vase browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques:Regional Art:Americas:Pre Columbian:Pottery: Pre AD 1000: item # 592753
Apolonia Ancient Art 290 Fillmore St. #D Denver, CO. 80206 303-321-7351 gallery Guest Book Sold |
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| This finely carved Mayan cylinder vase dates circa 600-800 A.D., and is from the northern Peten/Palenque region. This intact piece is approximately 6.7 inches high, by 4.2 inches in diameter. This superb piece is a tan terracotta and has the remnants of a stucco application; a purple stucco seen at the rim, and a blue stucco seen between the upper glyph band and the two registers below, and in the band that separates the two registers. The effect of the purple and blue stucco was to separate and highlight the carved sections of the piece. This stucco may have been added when the piece was made or long after it's production. The stucco does define this vessel as having an important religious function, as most Mayan stucco vessels have important glyphs and symbols. The fine detailed glyph band seen at the top is a hieroglyphic text known as the Primary Standard Sequence (PSS). The PSS has been identified by Michael Coe as being comprized of thirty-five glyphs, with text length ranging from four to twenty-two glyphs that reflect underlying rules of sequencing and substitution. The first part of the PSS has little variation, but the second part exhibits greater variability that is now known to reflect generalized glyphs and sometimes unique names and titles of specific owners/patrons of the vessel. The glyph band here is complex, and the thirteen glyphs within may name an important royal person, as this glyph band has not been deciphered and is unknown. What is known, is that the two registers below each show the Mayan God K "Kawil", seen within the cross-shaped Mayan symbol, who was the principle Mayan god that was particularly important to elite lineages and to rulers. His portrait glyph, as seen here, often appears in ruler's names. God K also forms the scepter that is seen in Mayan art relative to accession, blood sacrifice, and self-inflicted bloodletting. As one of the brothers of the "Palenque Triad", he was also associated with the connection of the Mayan elite with Xibalba, which was the Mayan spirit world. The cross-shaped symbol, as seen on the exceptional piece offered here, represents a Mayan doorway, or portal to Xibalba, and this symbol can be traced back to the Olmec. (See "The Ancient Americas", The Art Institute of Chicago Pub. 1992, and the article "Order and Nature in Olmec Art" by Beatriz Fuente, page 121.) This portal symbol seen here is rare relative to Mayan ceramics, and has been associated only with the most important of Mayan monuments such as the sarcophagus lid of Pacal in the Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque, Mexico, that was discovered in 1949 by Alberto Ruz. God K and the portal symbol taken together, probably point to the fact that this piece was made only as a burial offering for an important Mayan noble, possibly of royal blood and may have been used in a Mayan blood ceremony. The added stucco seen on the vessel may also support this theory. This piece is finely carved, is in intact condition, and is of mint quality, save for two very minute stress cracks. The stucco seen on this piece is all original as well, and has extensive root marking. This piece is one of the best Mayan carved stucco vessels of it's type. Ex: Private Florida collection. (Additional documentation is available to the purchaser.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition: | |||||||||
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