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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Mayan Bowls and Plates : Mayan Tetrapod Bowl with a Painted Bird
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Mayan Tetrapod Bowl with a Painted Bird - PF.2666
Origin: El Salvador
Circa: 500
AD
to 900
AD
Dimensions:
2" (5.1cm) high
x 6.125" (15.6cm) wide
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Style: Mayan
Medium: Terracotta
$2,500.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
The story of the Maya in the tropical forest of
Meso-America and much of it remains untold
today. The origin of Maya society is as much a
mystery as its sudden and unexplained collapse.
We do not know why their monuments and
temples unattended. What we do know is that
from 300 B.C. to 1200 A.D., the Maya shaped a
rich, complex society in Southern Mexico, El
Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The peak of
their extraordinary culture, marked by great
achievements in art, mathematics and science,
was during the same period of time that Europe
was emerging from the dark ages. Besides being
accomplished astrologers, merchants and
farmers, the Maya were skilled artists who not
only created monumental works of architecture
but also fashioned exceptional ceramics, whose
distinct beauty and craftsmanship remain on a
par with the finest man has ever created. This
handsome tetra pod bowl reveals the Maya
artist's characteristic eye for imaginative, well-
balanced design. Resting elegantly on four
sculpted feet, the bowl features the creatively
rendered image of a long-beaked bird, standing
in the center of the bowl. With wings spread
wide and head raised, the bird appears as if
ready to address the world through boisterous
song. As we observe the unusual shape of his
dot-crested head, our eye is drawn to a similar
shape that forms part of the dramatic, abstract
design framing the avian's image. More than just
a work of art, this Maya bowl speaks of a
civilization whose artistic sensibilities were in
fine tune with the intricate patterns and rhythms
of the forested world surrounding them.
- (PF.2666)
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