All remnants of the distant past are romantic, however Ancient Maya civilization has a special fascination, for it is a "Lost" civilization whose secrets lie deep in the mysterious tropical forests. It is a civilization with, among other attributes, an extraordinary array of monumental art and architecture, a complex writing system, an elaborate body of astrological science, and a variety of occupational artisans whose technical skill and creativity was nothing less than phenomenal. Nowhere is this specialization more significantly revealed than in Maya ceramic artwork. Here we experience a stunning example of this artistry in the form of a polychrome cylinder vessel whose rich color and complex imagery immediately captivates our imagination. A series of painted horizontal registers, comprised of elaborate Maya masks, glyphs and decorative patterns, wrap around the exterior surface of the vessel. The Maya artist's skilled line work in rendering these images reveals a calligraphic tradition that rivals that of the Chinese. In fact, the Maya invented a brush identical to the Chinese brush, to fulfill the same function--as the tool for calligraphic line work in both painting and writing. Although the Ancient Maya symbolic language on this extraordinary vase may still be unclear today, what is known for certain is the pleasure that is experienced when we behold this remarkable and highly spirited work of ceramic art.