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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Mayan Bowls, Plates and Vessels : Mayan Tripod Vessel
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Mayan Tripod Vessel - PF.3440
Origin: Guatemala
Circa: 6
th
Century AD
to 9
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
5.25" (13.3cm) high
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Style: Mayan
Medium: Terracotta
Location: United States
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| Description |
The Maya in their great temple cities reached the
summit of the classical age in Ancient Meso-
America. In those temple cities, great artistic
expressions such as murals and sculptures
flourished. It is during this classical period in
which artists refined their skills to represent the
human forms, deities and other symbolic pottery.
Used in various rituals and ceremonies, their art
embodied rich symbolism, laden with complex
meanings, which largely remain esoteric. This
beautiful vessel in warm orange color depicts
complex Mayan symbols in a very intricate
fashion. Incised with thin lines, the top of the
vessel indicated a sky band divided in to
compartments in vertical bars. Each
compartment is filled with various symbols for
stars or planets. Beneath the sky band is an
elaborate portrayal of the mythical creatures—
the water-Lilly monster and the serpents. The
water-Lilly monster is elaborately decorated,
placed on the band of water. The water-Lilly
monster is the symbol of standing bodies of
water, such as the ocean, lakes, swamps, and
agricultural canals. Because water-Lilly were
abundant in the canals used by the Maya, they
became the symbol of the earth's abundance.
Moreover, the beaded representation of blood
stream is depicted inside the serpents' body and
the blood scroll is portrayed at their tail.
Beautifully rendered, this Mayan vessel contains
complex religious and ritualistic significance.
Although we may not be able to decipher the
detailed meaning of the symbols, we are amazed
at the complicated Mayan art and its glyphic
system. The more we look at the vessel, the
more fascinating it is to try to imagine what the
myriad of signs symbolizes.
- (PF.3440)
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