Mayan Sculpture Of A Woman, 300 CE - 600 CE
Terracotta
3.25 x 6
PF.0616
Further images
There is a divine presence in this mold-made sculpture. It watches over us as it watched over a deceased Mayan king. Standing with her hands on held under her breasts,...
There is a divine presence in this mold-made sculpture. It watches over us as it watched over a deceased Mayan king. Standing with her hands on held under her breasts, this figure emits an aura much greater than her stature would suggest. She wears elaborate jewelry, including a beaded necklace with a pendant, circular ear ornaments, and an enormous arching headdress with projecting bumps. There are also small bumps on her bare shoulders, perhaps the effects of ritual scarifications. Who does this figurine represent? A god? A protective spirit? A deceased relative? Any of these answers might be correct; however, the most revealing factor to the identity and importance of this figurine is the location of its discovery. Found in a tomb, buried alongside a fallen ruler or dignitary, this sculpture was clearly as necessary to have in the afterlife as it was in this world.