The artist of this magnificent piece captured the pain of the person with great emotion. The agonized expression and rigidly drawn mouth, suggest the person is either a prisoner or...
The artist of this magnificent piece captured the pain of the person with great emotion. The agonized expression and rigidly drawn mouth, suggest the person is either a prisoner or a sacrificial victim. The lines underneath the eyes may suggest anguish or stress. The decoration above the face and along the neck is on in a geometric fashion, placed horizontally on the vessel collar. Both the parallel and wavy lines may symbolize water. We, as observers today cannot imagine what a person must have done to be punished in such a way as being sacrificed to the deities. However, this was a part of life in this ancient culture, and we can only imagine what these ceremonies must have been like. Yet with the use of such beautiful vessels, it was indeed a ceremony that required the utmost attention and reverence.