Copador Style Mayan Polychrome Bowl, 300 CE - 900 CE
Terracotta
8.125 x 3
PF.5649
Further images
A frieze of seated figures decorates the flaring vertical rim of the exterior. These figures, perhaps shamans, lean forward, their lower backs popped up against backrests. They wear headdresses that...
A frieze of seated figures decorates the flaring vertical rim of the exterior. These figures, perhaps shamans, lean forward, their lower backs popped up against backrests. They wear headdresses that project behind their heads and rise over their faces like an antenna, holding out their red hands as if presenting an offering. An object similar in form to the number “3” appears in front of their hands. A ring is painted above and below the tapering point of the bow-shaped object. The meaning of this motif remains a mystery. Meanwhile, the interior of the bowl is adorned by a row of six charming turkeys, a staple of the Mayan diet. Painted with red tails and necks, they hold a black object in the mouth that appears to represent a worm. There must be some significance between the varied motifs. How do the seated man and the turkey relate to each other? Found inside a tomb, buried along side a ruler or an important dignitary, this vessel, probably used in ceremonies, was as essential in the afterlife as it was in this world.