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X-Rare Carved Mayan Bottle with Palenque Triad Glyphs browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques:Regional Art:Americas:Pre Columbian:Pottery: Pre AD 1000: item # 902203
Apolonia Ancient Art 290 Fillmore St. #D Denver, CO. 80206 303-321-7351 gallery Guest Book $2675.00 |
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| This extremely rare Mayan carved bottle dates to the early Classic period, circa 300-400 A.D., and is approximately 3 inches high. This piece is intact with no repair/restoration, and is a light brown terracotta with dark brown highlights. This highly important piece is divided into three segments, and as a whole, displays the three Mayan glyphs that represent the Palenque Triad, gods GI, GII, and GIII. This trio of gods were celebrated as divine ancestors by the kings of Palenque, and this is the principle reason why these three gods have been labeled the "Palenque Triad". The piece offered here may be from the Palenque region, and it is certainly from the Peten region, as the artistic style of the carved glyphs place it in this region which is modern day Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. The artistic style of the deep carving seen on this piece may even be earlier than circa 300 A.D., and may represent the earliest glyphs that represent these three gods, which would make them late Protoclassic period, circa 200-300 A.D. The GII god glyph, otherwise known as "God K", has elements that are analogous to the Protoclassic glyph seen on Abaj Takalik Stela 5. (See "The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and The Maya", by Mary Miller and Carl Taube, Thames and Hudson Pub., 1993, p. 131.) GI rarely appears on Mayan painted pottery, and is associated with Venus and the sun, and likely represents one of the Mayan Hero Twins. He has a shark's tooth, square eyes, scalloped eyebrows, and a shell earflare. GII, known as God K, Bolon Dzacab, and the Flare God has a forehead with a smoking celt or torch, a mirror head, and serpent-headed foot. This god is associated with the accession of Mayan royalty and royal self-inflicted bloodletting. GIII is associated with the Baby Jaguar god, the Water-lily Jaguar god, and one of the Hero Twins. He has a "kin" sign on his cheek or forehead, a squint eye, and a Roman nose. The glyphs seen on the piece offered here all have elements of the above gods that are seen within the glyphs itself, and are seldom seen together on one vessel. In addition, each glyph has a central eye that is denoted with a small incised line design, which is slightly different for each eye seen within the glyph, and this minute incised eye detail was probably the last decorative element that was added to the piece by this skilled Mayan artist/scribe. This piece may also have contained red cinnabar, as traces of this compound are seen within the vessel and some low relief points of the glyphs. The red cinnabar was used by the Maya to preserve the departed, and royal tombs were often coated with this substance. The piece offered here was also hand carved, and a mold was not used to create the design, as is often the case with small Mayan bottles and flasks of this type. This piece is extremely rare, if not unique, and Mayan carved and painted vessels with the complete Palenque triad are seldom seen on the market. Ex: Chuck Warren collection, Miami, Fl. (1970's) Ex: Erasmo Toledo collection, Miami, Fl. Ex: Private New York collection. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition: | |||||||||
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