'Codex Tudela: Aztec human sacrifice', 1553.

Costumed Figure. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 11 1/2 x W. 3 13/16 x D. 3 3/4 in. (29.3 x 9.7 x 9.5 cm). Date: 7th-8th century. This ceramic figurine depicts a standing male wearing a long textured bodysuit and conical headdress. His mouth is open, as if speaking, and he wears an ornament between his eyes. Incised lines on his cheeks may represent wrinkles, indicating he is a mature individual. He wears a belt and loincloth above the bodysuit, as well as a ruffled collar and large round earflares, or ornaments worn in the earlobes (see 1994.35.591a, b for an example of an earflare set, and 1979.206.1047 for individuals wearing earflare assemblages). His pectoral consists of a large round element with a zoomorphic face emerging from the top right corner. He carries a rectangular shield in his left hand; the shield is marked with patterns that probably represent feathers. The right arm of the figurine is broken at the elbow. This figurine is also a whistle; the mouthpiece of the whistle, visible from the sides and back, serves as a third support so that the figurine can stand erect. This figurine was made from a mold, with individual characteristics added by hand. Fingerprints, remnants of hand modeling, are visible on parts of the headdress, including the right earflare and the fringes on the left side of the individual's face. The figurine still retains large swaths of paint, indicating the entire surface would once have been brightly colored. Aside from a central vertical strip, the individual's face is blue. The textured bodysuit is also blue. The pigment on these sections of the figurine is probably "Maya blue," a distinctive and durable paint made by heating indigo and palygorskite, a mineral found in clay (see Crocodile Rattle, 1979.206.1143, for another example of Maya blue). The section around the individual's shoulders is slightly faded and less textured than other parts of the figurine, indicating use wear. The individual's loincloth and the center of his face were painted red. White paint remains on his pectoral, and on the circular elements atop his feet. The figurine is resolutely frontal: the back of the whistle lacks modeling and texture, and its smooth surface is painted red on the bottom and blue on top. This figurine is in the Jaina style, named after a small island off the coast of Campeche, Mexico. Jaina was a Maya center occupied from the Late Preclassic period (ca. 300 B.C.-A.D. 250) to the Late Postclassic period (ca. 1200-1500), with a peak population in the Late Classic (ca. A.D. 600-800) and Terminal Classic (ca. A.D. 800-900) periods. A large number of figurines and anthropomorphic whistles similar to this one have been recovered from the island. Like this example, figurines from Jaina are mold made, with individual details added by hand. They depict a variety of subjects, from seated young women to warriors to anthropomorphic beings. While many of these artifacts lack archaeological context, excavations have recovered figurines in the burials of adults and infants. Although this style of figurine is closely associated with Jaina Island, source testing of ceramic material in other museum collections indicates that Jaina-style figurines may have been produced and traded throughout Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, and Chiapas, Mexico. Jaina-style figurines seem to represent ideal "types" of people rather than individual portraits. The portliness of this figure, combined with his heavy jowls and protruding belly, suggest ties with the "Fat God," a poorly understood character who appears throughout ancient Mesoamerican belief systems. Because his status as a deity is unclear, some scholars, such as archaeologist Christina Halperin, refer to him as the "Fat Man." First appearing in art from the Preclassic period, the "Fat Man" is a common figurine subject, characterized by his corpulent stomach, sagging jowls, and closed, puffy eyes. The "Fat Man" is associated with humor and musical performance, and in the Classic period he may have been a ritual clown, much like the court jester in Medieval Europe. In some examples he wears a textured bodysuit, dances, and holds a fan. He also appears, as in this figurine, as a warrior with a shield. Christina Halperin (2014) suggests that depictions of the "Fat Man" as a warrior may have been ironic or humorous because they combine the accoutrements of a warrior with someone who is clearly not in fighting shape. The many incarnations of the "Fat Man" suggest that his meaning may have varied across time and space, however, and that not all portly individuals in Maya art represent this character. Other Jaina-style figurines suggest a more generic designation as a noble or warrior. A similar work in the Cleveland Museum of Art (1963.93) wears a textured blue bodysuit and a removable helmet, and the position of his hands suggests he once carried a spear and shield. Like the Metropolitan figurine, he also has a potbelly. Another figurine in the Jaina style, photographed by Justin Kerr (K1503 in his Pre-Columbian Portfolio), carries a shield with rectangular bands of feathers almost identical to those on the shield of the Metropolitan figurine. In addition, the Metropolitan figurine may represent a local warrior "type" who appears in the art of the Northern Lowlands, especially at Oxkintok and Dscelina. At these sites in Campeche, Mexico, large relief columns depict similar rotund individuals wearing textured bodysuits and carrying shields. The bodysuit most likely represents the quilted armor worn by warriors, while the rectangular shield is carried by warriors in the Usumacinta area. Whether warrior or "Fat Man," the rich accoutrements worn by this figure underline his noble status. Caitlin C. Earley, Jane and Morgan Whitney Fellow, 2016.

Pendant. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 3 × W. 1 1/2 × D. 1 1/2 in. (7.6 × 3.8 × 3.8 cm). Date: A.D. 600-700. This bright green jade pendant depicts a Maya ruler wearing the headdress of a supernatural being. Este colgante de jade verde representa a un gobernante maya con el tocado de un ser sobrenatural. <b>Further information</b> This bright green jade pendant depicts a Maya ruler wearing the headdress of a supernatural being. The lower half of the highly polished stone is a naturalistic face of a Maya lord whose lips are slightly parted, as if about to speak. The face seems to emerge from the gaping jaws of the deity depicted in the headdress. The iconography of the jade ties it strongly with Maya beliefs about rulership, particularly its connection with divine powers (see 2007.134). The apex of the work terminates in a visual element that is common in artists' depictions of crown jewels worn by Late Classic period (ca. A.D. 550 - 900) kings and queens, especially in the 7th and 8th centuries. In fact, the pendant itself was likely a pectoral or a crown jewel, the centerpiece of a royal diadem, such as those found in the tombs of important historical figures. Fiber run through drill holes on the reverse side would have affixed the jewel to a bark paper or cloth fiber diadem, and multiple drill holes along the jaw of the ruler's portraits would have allowed beads to dangle below. Red pigment in the drill holes indicates it was once part of a funerary assemblage, which the Maya often dusted with red minerals upon burial, as a king or queen took his or her jewels into the next life. The work is exceptional for its relative size, the beauty of the apple-green jade (the shade most preferred by the Maya), and the outstanding sculptural qualities of the work. The richly volumetric carving sets this work apart from known, flatter compositions. There are two other pendants of comparable quality and imagery. The first was created for a ruler at Piedras Negras, Guatemala, and later deposited in the Great Cenote at Chichen Itza, Mexico; it is now in the collections of the Peabody Museum at Harvard University. The second was excavated from Burial 77 at Tikal, which likely held the final ruler of the city before its abandonment in the 9th century.

Nicolas-Eustache Maurin / 'The Maya chief Zingari presents his sister to Hernan Cortes', 19th, Engraving.

'Fragment of the Codex Tro-cortesiano (Codex de Madrid) II'.

Cylindrical Vessel. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 7 7/8 x Diam. 6 1/4 in. (18.1 x 15.9 cm). Date: 6th-9th century. This polychrome cylindrical vessel is identified by the text around the rim as a Classic Maya (ca. a.d. 250-900) "drinking cup." The design layout is less common than the full figure scenes and deity depictions seen on many Maya vessels. The interpretation of the well drawn profile deity head is that it may be one of many forms of a watery serpent creature, a common image in Maya art, often with smoke clouds issuing from the top, bottom, left and right side of the head. The split scroll motifs could also be read as representing vegetal forms linking the deity to agriculture, spring, and the concept of regeneration and regrowth.

Maya Candeleros vase, anthropomorphic terracota tripod from Colon, Honduras. Pre Classical Antique period.

La Prison, à Chichen-Itza. Artist: Désiré Charnay (French, 1828-1915). Dimensions: Image: 33.3 x 42.4 cm (13 1/8 x 16 11/16 in.) Mount: 54 x 70.8 cm (21 1/4 x 27 7/8 in.). Date: 1857-89. Charnay was among the first to photograph Mexico's stunning Mayan ruins. The French archaeologist-adventurer gained considerable fame with the publication of his photographs and an account of his travels entitled Cités et ruines américaines: Mitla, Palenqué, Izamal, Chichen-Itza, Uxmal (1862-63). In this plate from the album, Charnay photographed a building he described as a "prison" emerging from the jungle at Chichén-Itzá. Built in the late eighth or ninth century, this temple building was constructed in a complex architectural style called Puuk and is today known as the Casa Colorada or Chichen Chob. Archaeologists are unsure of the structure's original function, but most today believe the building may have been an elite residence. Without the advantages of modern carbon dating and years of scholarly analysis, Charnay simply documented the overgrown site and endowed it with all the mystery and enchantment of one's childhood fantasy of lost paradise.

Maya tufa statue of seated scribe from Sepolturas, Copan, Honduras, 700-800.

Vessel with Seated Lord. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 9 1/2 x Diam. 7 3/8 in. (24.1 x 18.8 cm). Date: 7th-8th century. One of the largest Maya vessels in the Museum, this cup contains an elaborate scene with accompanying text, which reads "<i>yuk'ib baje wa-KAAN TOOK' bakab</i>," or "the drinking cup of Baje(?) Kaan (or Chan) Took', the ruler." The size of the vessel is significant. Other scenes in Maya art that such larger cylinder vessels were placed on the ground as a receptacle for a concoction made of cacao (the plant from which chocolate is derived) poured from a smaller vessel above; the pouring action created the desired froth of the chocolate drink. Presumably, revelers would dip their own cup into the larger vessel to share in the chocolaty celebration. The text on the Met's chocolate vessel is one of the simplest name tags on a Maya vessel, formed by just a possessed noun and an individual's name, with the implied intransitive "it is." It is possible that the ruler Kaan Took' is seated immediately to the right of the text, his elbow actually overlapping the final syllabic sign, the impersonal royal title. In fact, one gets a sense that the artist meant for the text to appear floating, midair, in front of the person; the elbow passes over the text, but the figure seems to be smoking a cigar, with the smoke passing under the hieroglyphs of his personal name and emerging under the <i>yuk'ib</i> ("his/her drinking cup") glyph block. Although short and sweet, the text here is a dynamic example of the complex interplay between Maya text and image, and how scribes and artists conceived of the vitality and immediacy of hieroglyphic texts vis-à-vis their subjects. This figure is perched atop a throne that has a cushion for reclining. He wears a woven loincloth, a necklace perhaps composed of the two joined halves of a bivalve shell, and ear flares similar to other Metropolitan Museum objects, such as 1989.314.15a,b. His forehead slopes back, indicative of cranial deformation, and his cascading curly locks are held back by a specific royal headband made of jadeite beads--a distinctive item worn by Maya kings and queens. A large headdress element shoots out from the rear of the figure's head, and the vivid incisions of the artist capture the movement of the long tail feathers of the quetzal bird (<i>Pharomachrus mocinno</i>). The rest of the scene does not show a royal court, as commonly portrayed on other Maya vessels. Instead, a large, toothless deity head sprouting watery vegetation accompanies the ruler. The supernatural's image perhaps tells the viewer of the scene that it takes place in a certain location or during a certain event, the details of which are lost on modern observers. One fascinating detail of the deity head is the upside-down, human-like profile that sprouts up from the rear--most likely representing the head of the Maya maize god as an ear of corn. The theme of the disembodied head of the maize god being reborn from sprouting vegetation is common among Maya vessels. Thus the artist of the Metropolitan Museum's vessel connects the ruler pictured here with agricultural fertility and the mythic cycle of maize, the main staple crop of the ancient Americas. The themes of bountiful food incised on the outside of the vessel inform its function as a container of chocolate crucial for royal feasts. Although the text marks the owner of the cup as a bakab noble, it does not specify from which polity the ruler hails, but a similar name appears on one of the inscribed mud bricks from the acropolis of the site of Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico. The hypothesis that this particular vessel comes from the Tabasco region gains support from archaeological evidence published in the mid-twentieth century by Heinrich Berlin, incidentally one of the early figures in the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphic writing. Berlin published a drawing of a pottery type from the site of Jonuta, Tabasco, that he called thin-walled cylinders, with a "white slip through which geometric and/or human figures are incised." The vessel at the Met shares formal and technical characteristics from this class of objects identified by Berlin from the late eighth century A.D. Here the artist or owner of the pot seems to have added a thin layer of blue-painted stucco around the rim as a final ornamentation. There are several similar vessels in museum and private collections, including one at the Dallas Museum of Art, many of which have been documented by Justin Kerr's Maya Vase Database project. The Met's vase was first published in 1961 in Europe and identified as a "large Maya clay pot with incised drawing" ("Großes Tongefäß mit eingeritzter Zeichnung") from the Yucatan peninsula, and in 1964 was described as being located in a private collection in Switzerland. In fact, the ruler pictured on the vessel served as the cover model for the 1964 publication. James Doyle.

Mirror-Bearer. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 14 1/8 x W. 9 x D. 9 in. (35.9 x 22.9 x 22.9 cm). Date: 6th century. This Mirror-Bearer figure is the best-preserved example of portable Maya wood sculpture and one of the highlights of the Early Classic period (ca. A.D. 250-550) Maya art. The artist created this figure out of a solid piece of hardwood from the genus <i>Cordia</i>, known locally as <i>bocote</i>. Research determined a radiocarbon age for the wood of 1425 years before present (± 120 years), or a range of A.D. 410 to 650. It was said to have come from the border region between Guatemala and Tabasco, Mexico. Most likely, to judge from its extraordinary preservation, the findspot must have been a dry cave or well-sealed funerary chamber. The damage on its left side is the result of some wear or decay in that context, perhaps from resting against a surface or being subjected to varying passage of air. The person, a male, wears an elaborate knee-length woven skirt with ties that cover his navel. The waistband of the skirt shows a braided and fringed design with circular rosettes on the hips and at the spine. The hem of the skirt displays a jagged starburst-like pattern bordered above by a twisted braid and below by flaring fringe. The square knot at the figure's stomach accentuates the realistic portrayal of the garment that sags between its slightly splayed knees. In addition, the Mirror-Bearer dons a shawl that goes around his neck and falls through his arms to connect to the rear rosette and is gathered in a bunch that sags away from the figure's back. Clearly defined notches in the skirt and under the arms would have held a removable plaque approximately 5 inches square, probably covered in a mosaic mirror of pyrite or obsidian. The plaque would have been inserted under the arms and then hooked into the skirt notches. In fact, the artist thinned the shawl under the figure's right arm by chiseling. This enabled a better "fit" for the plaque, which, at a roughly 60-degree angle, matched the pitch of the figure's face. The Mirror-Bearer wears a distinct hairstyle or headdress and is shown with a curled moustache. The eye sockets are carved out, possibly to hold eye inlays of shell and obsidian. He arches his back, his head slightly tilted upward, his upper arms parallel to the ground, and his feet, which, though eroded, are folded under his body. He is shown holding his fists tightly to his chest, clutched under an elaborate pectoral. The pectoral ornament depicts an anthropomorphic portrait, with a headdress, ear flares, and a wide collar of jade beads. The elaborate multi-tiered ear ornaments of the figure consist of a flare through the stretched lobe, with two other jade discs hanging below it, terminating in a graceful portrait of a jawless reptilian creature. Such luxurious jade jewelry would have only been reserved for a high member of the elite. Surviving reddish iron oxide pigment on the surface indicates that he would have been brightly painted and vivid in effect. Although the artist seems to have depicted this individual at a small scale but with normal bodily proportions at approximately 1/3 scale, he is most likely a royal court dwarf, as seen in many palace scenes. The unusual facial hair, bulbous forehead, and profile are consistent with Maya artists' depictions of individuals with achondroplasia or other types of genetic dwarfism. In Maya art, dwarves represented a type of antithetical beauty in contrast to the graceful Maize God. They were also very special in the eyes of Mesoamerican societies; they had divinatory powers and were sought after as entertainers in royal courts. The mirror-bearer to the ruler was an important role, sometimes filled by a woman, but more often by courtly dwarves. Their primary function was to reflect the image of Maya lords and ladies as those dignitaries preened in self-regard. Many of these mirror plaques have been found in Mexico and Central America, especially from the Classic Maya and Teotihuacan cultures. They are usually rectangular or circular ranging from 7 to 30 cm. in diameter. Mirrors are also known as objects for divination in Mesoamerica. The mirrors themselves were planes of luminous reflection, conceived as portals. The semi-permanence of a mirror held by a stone or wooden character implies that a mirror needed to be aimed at the ruler at all times when he was on the throne. There may be a connection with the wooden Mirror-Bearer and K'awiil, the Maya god of lightning, who is closely associated with mirrors or highly polished stones in artistic representations. When excavators at Tikal, Guatemala encountered a tomb they labeled Burial 195, it was flooded with sediment, allowing them to detect voids in the mud. When injected with plaster, the voids revealed small wooden deity figures covered in blue-green stucco from which the wood had rotted away. These wooden K'awiils are seen as holding a square elements in front of them, much like the Mirror-Bearer. Only two other wooden mirror-bearers are known. The first, in the Princeton University Art Museum (y1990-71), is of similar scale to the Met's figure. The bearer is shown with standard bodily proportions but bears traces of an abnormal hairstyle and raised bump representations of scarification on the chin. Probably a youthful courtier, for young men also did much service to kings, he is adorned with a plain loincloth tied in the back and also exhibits vestiges of red pigment and stucco on the weathered surface. The only archaeologically excavated example of a wooden mirror-bearer comes from the site of Becan, Campeche, Mexico. It was recovered from a disturbed funerary chamber within the elevated tiers of Structure IX, the largest pyramid at the site. Along with the wooden sculpture, excavators found a conch shell (<i>Strombus</i> sp.), a frame with mosaic tesserae of hematite, three obsidian blades and fifteen Early Classic ceramic vessels. The wood was also identified as of the genus <i>Cordia</i>, perhaps chosen for its sturdiness but light weight relative to denser woods. Carved from one piece, the bearer is a standing male dwarf, leaning forward with his chin slightly raised and his arms held bent at the side of his body, which was originally covered in red pigment. There is other evidence that the Mirror-Bearer of the Metropolitan Museum would have been placed in the center of scenes of feasting, tribute, or other rituals. A wooden mirror-bearer may appear on a cylinder vessel in the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra (NGA 82.2292), originally made in the mid-8th century at the Ik' kingdom of the area of Lake Petén Itza, Petén, Guatemala. The central figure is a portly king surrounded by his attendants, musicians, and even a hunchback and a dwarf drinking out of a large bowl. The key figure of this composition is the small dwarf holding the mirror: this is possibly an object of wood. It has a markedly differential color and scale that contrast with that of the nearby drinking dwarf, and resemble more closely that of the wooden mirror bearers from the Metropolitan. Though painted roughly two centuries after the creation of the Metropolitan's Mirror-Bearer, this object appears in the company of other courtiers. Thus there was continuity through generations of portraying a wooden object in a group of humans as an equal participant in courtly life, gesturing and interacting with the king. James Doyle, 2016.

Maya Maske.

Royal Profile. Late Classic Maya; Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 650 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: 31.1 × 24.1 × 4.1 cm (12 1/4 × 9 1/2 × 1 5/8 in.). Sandstone and pigment. Origin: Mexico.

Pair of Tripods with Knotted Motif. Classic Maya; Ulúa River Valley, Honduras or Petén region, Guatemala. Date: 850 AD-950 AD. Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.5 cm (4 3/4 x 3 3/4 in.); 12.7 x 10.2 cm (5 x 4 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Honduras.

'The God Oxhintok, Maya late classic'.

Seated Ballplayer. Culture: Ameca-Etzatlán. Dimensions: H. 19 5/8 x W. 13 in. (49.8 x 33 cm) Ball: Diam. 8.5 cm. Date: 1st century B.C.-A.D. 3rd century. Images of ballplayers were made in ancient Mexico for millennia. The game, played with a large rubber ball, was fast paced and had many layers of meaning--and it was always a significant male activity. Depictions of both game and players appear in the ceramic sculptures of Jalisco, a state on the west coast of Mexico, where such works were produced in the centuries around the turn of the first millennium when their makers flourished. This impressive seated player, in the Ameca-Etzatlan style of Jalisco, holds the large ball reverentially high, in a manner of presentation. His short "pants," a typical player costume, protect the lower body as the ball was propelled with the hips low to the ground. In remote areas of Mexico a game was played in this manner well into the twentieth century. The ceramic sculpture of Jalisco was used as funerary offerings in the tombs of members of important families. It is conjectured that depictions of ballplayers were meant to accompany the burial of a man who had been a skilled player.

The Birth of the Buddha. Culture: Nepal. Dimensions: 14 1/2 x 12 1/4 in. (36.8 x 31.1 cm). Date: 18th-19th century. At lower right Maya reaches up to grasp the branches of a tree and the Buddha emerges from her side. At lower left, the gods Indra and the four-headed Brahma receive the child. The Buddha appears a second time, standing atop a stack of jeweled lotus flowers, marking the miraculous event of his first steps and bath. Such mosaic panels were placed in personal shrines and temples. The density of precious stones in this composition is astonishing and speaks to the widespread practice of donating jewelry at sacred centers. This example is one of the most elaborate of its type to survive.

'Fragment of the Codex Tro-cortesiano (Codex de Madrid), reverse'.

Vessel of the Dancing Lords. Ah Maxam (active mid-/late 8th century); Late Classic Maya; Vicinity of Naranjo, Petén region, Guatemala. Date: 700 AD-850 AD. Dimensions: 24 × 15.8 cm (9 1/2 × 6 1/4 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: .

Bowl. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: Height: 3 1/2in. (8.9cm) Diameter: 6in. (15.2cm). Date: 7th-8th century.

'Fragment of the Codex Tro-cortesiano (Codex de Madrid), obverse'.

MAYA. Whistle in the Form of the Head of a Jaguar. Possibly Jaina-style; Possibly Campeche, Mexico. Date: 250 AD-900 AD. Dimensions: . Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Campeche.

'Stucco mask, Maya late classic'.

Dintel nº58. Siglo VIII.

'A ballgames player', 27.6 x 18.1 cm.

Ballplayer Panel. Late Classic Maya; Usumacinta River area, Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 700 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: 43.2 × 25.1 cm (17 × 9.9 in.). Limestone. Origin: Usumacinta.

Scepter with Profile Figures. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 13 5/8 x W. 7 1/2 x D. 5/8 in. (34.6 x 19.1 x 1.6 cm). Date: 7th-8th century. Artists transformed flint, a material abundant in the Maya Lowlands, into royal regalia. Representations of these blades appear in monumental sculptures, where rulers hold them mounted as scepters or ceremonial spears. The compositions here feature multiple profile heads with sloping foreheads and elaborate headdresses; the distinct frontal projections probably represent a "smoking celt," the hallmark of K'awiil, the Maya God of Lightning. Both the scepters and K'awiil's repeated faces may symbolize the multiple branches of lightning. Los artistas transformaban el pedernal, un material que abunda en las tierras bajas mayas, en ropajes reales. Se pueden observar representaciones de estos sílex en esculturas monumentales en las que los gobernantes los llevan como cetros o lanzas ceremoniales. Las obras aquí presentes muestran múltiples caras de perfil con frentes inclinadas y elaborados tocados. Las singulares proyecciones frontales probablemente representen un "hacha humeante" el sello distintivo de K'awiil, dios maya del trueno y del relámpago. Ambos cetros y las repetidas caras de K'awiil simbolizan las múltiples bifurcaciones de los rayos. Further information Maya artists skillfully chipped flint, a fragile and challenging medium, into imaginative multifigure and geometric shapes. The worked flints are frequently found as offerings in Maya tombs. This eccentric flint depicts, in profile, two figures wearing headdresses. The larger of the two sits on a small short-backed stool and the smaller extends out from his back, as if being carried. Each silhouette displays the sloping forehead modification practiced by Maya peoples of the time and each has puckered lips. The undecorated base of this flint would have enabled it to be bound to a staff or it may have served as a handle allowing the object to function as a scepter, perhaps as an emblem of rulership. It has been suggested that the Maya believed flint to have been created when lightning struck the earth, thereby imbuing it with supernatural power. This flint may be a personification of such a power.

Pair of Ear Spools. Classic Maya; Mexico, Guatemala, or Honduras. Date: 250 AD-900 AD. Dimensions: 3 x 4.5 cm (1 3/16 x 1 3/4 in.). Serpentine. Origin: Honduras.

Water-Lily Vessel, "Vase of the Water Lilies". Ah Maxam (active mid-/late eighth century); Late Classic Maya; Vicinity of Naranjo, Petén region, Guatemala. Date: 700 AD-850 AD. Dimensions: 24 × 15 cm (9.5 × 6 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: .

Vasija II. Siglos IX-XIII.

'Fragment of the Codex Tro-cortesiano (Codex de Madrid) III'.

Jar, Ritual Scenes. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 11 1/2 in. x Diam. 12 in. (29.2 x 30.5 cm). Date: 8th-9th century. The Classic Maya depicted many scenes of ritual imbibing of alcohol through enemas, and on this jar, several such scenes unfold around an upper and lower register. In paired-figure scenes, three around the neck and four around the body of the jar, a woman is shown taking care of a child, preparing a mixture in an enema bladder or gourd, and helping a male administer an enema to himself. The characters are painted in red, orange, and black, on a light orange background. The outflaring rim of the vessel is painted red, and the two registers are divided with three bands of geometric motifs. The woman wears different long dresses in each scene with red-and-black geometric patterns, a white headband, and body paint on her face and arms. Her long hair hangs to her waist as she performs her tasks. The male accompanying her wears body paint, a headdress, and large ear spools. He seems to be learning the process of enema taking. In these rare scenes of ritual instruction, the characters are gesturing to each other, as if questions and explanations are being exchanged. The sequence of events seems to be that the male arrives to the woman wearing an enema bladder strapped to his lower back. She then prepares the enema for the man to take, either while she is holding it or he is holding it himself. The jar is self-referential. Throughout the scenes appear jars of the same shape with the black dots near the rim indicating a foamy alcoholic beverage. Large jars of this form are known to have been used for fermented beverages, such as pulque, made from the sap of maguey (<i>Agave Americana</i>). The scenes and the jar may be related to a ritual of intoxication. The male in one lower scene bows his head and holds his hand to his mouth, as if he were not feeling well. The woman could also be portrayed as a healer, someone with ethnobotanical knowledge sought after for remedies. Such a person may have played a widespread role within the Maya royal courts by providing enemas or other medicinal treatments. In fact, the "enema woman" is also crafted into a three-dimensional figure of a kneeling female holding a large vessel in the Princeton University Art Museum (2005-64 a-b). The jar she holds is globular with a cylindrical neck, similar to the Metropolitan's jar. James Doyle, 2016.

'Feathered Serpent, stone'.

Vessel. Late Classic Maya; Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 600 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: 13 x 16.2 cm (5 1/8 x 6 3/8 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Mexico.

Cylinder Vessel. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: Height 5-1/2 in.. Date: 8th century.

Seated Female Figure. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 7 1/8 x W. 4 1/2 x D. 3 3/8 in. (18.2 x 11.4 x 8.5 cm). Date: 6th-9th century.

Bowl with Pouring Lip. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H x W: 4 3/8 x 4 7/8in. (11.1 x 12.4cm). Date: 5th-6th century.

Carved Vessel Depicting a Lord Wearing a Water-Lily Headdress. Late Classic Maya, Chocholá; Yucatán or Campeche, Mexico. Date: 600 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: H. 15.2 cm (6 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Mexico.

Tetrapod Bowl. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm). Date: 1st-4th century. Wide-mouthed bowls or plates are believed to have been used as presentation or serving vessels. Those raised on four bulbous feet are identified with the Maya lowlands of Mexico and Guatemala in the earliest centuries A.D. and include a rather showy type surfaced with an arresting, bright orange-red slip, as seen here. The surface is continuous, even, and smooth in color; the shape is clean lined and well balanced. This type of vessel represents a considerable display of proficiency in the art and technique of the potter and was valued as a precious object at the time of manufacture. Other ceramics of specialized shape and size were finished with the same orange-red surface color. Perhaps suites of similarly hued ceramic containers were particularly meaningful together. This example has dark gray firing-clouds on the bottom of the feet, the only change in color from smooth orange-red on the vessel.

Figurine. Classic Maya; Mexico, Guatemala, or Honduras. Date: 250 AD-900 AD. Dimensions: H. 5.4 cm (2 1/8 in.). Jadeite. Origin: Central America.

Tripod Vessel Depicting Monkey Hunters and Traders. Classic Maya; Ulúa River Valley, Honduras or Petén region, Guatemala. Date: 850 AD-950 AD. Dimensions: 17.8 x 19.1 cm (7 x 7 1/2 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Honduras.

Tripod Plate. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 2 1/2 x Diam. 10 7/8 in. (6.4 x 27.6 cm). Date: 9th-10th century. Referred to by archaeologists as slateware, this ceramic vessel is a variety that was especially popular in northern Yucatan in the centuries around the turn of the second millennium A.D. The subdued colors of slateware, ranging from pale beige-whites to soft grays, are in marked contrast to the vibrant Maya polychrome ceramics of earlier times. As in this example, the decoration is often restrained. The image that adorns the inner surface of this tripod plate recalls the Mesoamerican rain deity with his round goggle eyes and toothy mouth. Applied with a fluid, spontaneous brushstroke, the viscosity of the "trickle" paint causes it to run when first applied, contributing to the organic nature of the painted motif.

Head from a Figure. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 3 3/8 x W. 1 7/8 x D. 2 1/2 in. (8.6 x 4.8 x 6.4 cm). Date: 7th-8th century.

Detail from the stone stela 31, is the accession monument of Siyaj Chan K'awiil II, also bearing two portraits of his father, Yax Nuun Ayiin, as a youth dressed as a Teotihuacan warrior. He carries a spearthrower in one hand and bears a shield decorated with the face of Tlaloc, the Teotihuacan war god, Maya period from Tikal, Guatemala.

GEORGE CATLIN. Five Maya Indians. Dated: 1855/1869. Dimensions: overall: 46.5 x 62.4 cm (18 5/16 x 24 9/16 in.). Medium: oil on card mounted on paperboard.

Pectoral. Classic Maya; Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 200 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: 7 × 7 cm (2 3/4 × 2 3/4 in.). Jadeite. Origin: Mexico.

Hieroglyphic Panel. Late Classic Maya; Usumacinta River area, Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 650 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: 28.6 × 26.7 × 3.8 cm (11 1/4 × 10 1/2 × 1 1/4 in.). Limestone. Origin: Mexico.

Stela. Late Classic Maya; Vicinity of Calakmul, Campeche or Quintana Roo, Mexico. Date: 702 AD. Dimensions: 162.6 × 68.6 × 30.5 cm (64 × 27 × 12 in.). Limestone. Origin: Campeche.

Carved Shell Depicting the Profile Face of Diety (Broken). Maya; Mexico or Guatmala. Date: 250 AD-900 AD. Dimensions: H. 8.9 cm (3 1/2 in.). Shell. Origin: Mexico.

Maya painted terracotta cylindrical vase, carved and painted, bowl with Polychrome patterned terracotta cylindrical vase, carved and painted, height 18,2cm, width 16cm. From Comayagua, Tenampua (Honduras). Mayan Civilization, recent classical period ca 700.

Cylindrical Vessel. Maya; Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 250 AD-900 AD. Dimensions: 18.4 x 13.3 cm (7 1/4 x 5 1/4 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Mexico.

Codex-Style Vase with Mythological Scene. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 7 1/2 × Diam. 4 7/16 × Circum. 13 7/16 in. (19 × 11.2 × 34.2 cm). Date: ca. 7th or 8th century. This detailed scene, created by one of the finest artists of the Classic Maya period (ca. 250-900), illuminates the lives of the gods and their role in the continuation of the world. The inscription below the rim refers to "raising" the "drinking cup" in an act of dedication and to the vessel's owner as a "striker." The striker may be the elderly rain god Chahk, who wields a ceremonial axe in his left hand and places his right hand on a stone temple or palace that he has split open. The rain god cracking the roof of a structure, allowing the maize god to come to life, illustrates Maya myths about rain and agricultural cycles. To the right of the rain god, a serpent exits the structure and another elderly god issues from the serpent's maw. This aged deity may represent the thunder god. Raindrops--shown as pairs or in threes in vertical lines across the vessel--perhaps suggest the start of the rainy season. The narrative scene on this ceramic vessel is executed in the "codex style," so named for the calligraphic painting style associated with Maya manuscripts. The style was popular in the seventh and eighth centuries in regions now part of southern Mexico and northern Guatemala. The quality of the artist's line makes this object among the best examples of ancient Maya vase painting. A youthful maize god stands before a broken temple with his arms raised and bent at the elbows, a position perhaps associated with royal office. The artist set up a striking comparison between the aged rain god and the youthful maize god, shown in robust good health, with an elegant profile and markings on his arm indicating shininess or beauty. The scene conveys a narrative underscoring the regenerative power of rain and the growth cycle of maize, the principal food crop of the ancient Maya.

Maya terracotta filled mold, Anthropomorphic figure of woman talking, 550-900, height 22,5cm, width 17cm, thickness 11cm. Valley of Sula classical recent period 550-900. (Honduras). Mayan Civilization.

Vasija. Siglos IX-XIII.

Bowl. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 4 1/4 x Diam. 7 in. (10.8 x 17.8 cm). Date: 9th-10th century.

Rattle in the Form of a Mythological Figure. Late Classic Maya, Jaina; Campeche or Yucatán, Mexico. Date: 650 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: H. 18.4 cm (7 1/4 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Campeche.

Stela at Copan. Artist: Frederick Catherwood (British, London 1799-1854 died at sea, near Liverpool). Dimensions: 22-7/16 x 16-1/16 in. (57.1 x 40.8 cm). Date: 1843.

Vessel Depicting K'awiil (God K) and Itzamna Exchanging Gifts. Late Classic Maya; Guatemala. Date: 700 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: 21.3 x 20.3 cm (8 3/8 x 8 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Mexico.

Vessel, Seated Deities. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 8 3/4 x Diam. 7 1/2 in. (22.2 x 19.1 cm) Diameter: 7 1/2in. (19.1cm). Date: 6th-7th century. This large, barrel-shaped polychrome cylinder vessel contains three images of a deity seated on thrones around its body. The rim of the vessel contains a band decorated with lightly painted pseudo-glyphs, images that give the appearance of writing without being actually legible. The baroque scene with the deities, covered in jewels and elaborate regalia, may pertain to a long-lost Maya myth from the 5th-6th centuries. The deity depicted in the two scenes sits cross-legged and raises its right arm while folding its left arm over its torso. The body of the deity is painted red and decorated with pill-shaped motifs that have been identified as marks of shininess in Maya art. Though the feet of the deity, painted in a gray wash, appear human, the gesturing hands are in the form of clawed jaguar paws. The loincloth is also a jaguar pelt, as is the cushion of the throne. The jaguar ears, along with the square-shaped eye with spiraled pupil, "cruller" ornament that frames the eye, and down-turned mouth with prominent tooth, all mark this deity as the Jaguar God of the Underworld. This deity is associated with the night sun. A similar vase, perhaps created in the same workshop, depicts the same deity holding a quatrefoil medallion of the Jaguar God of the Underworld (Hudson Museum, Orono, HM638). The artist's horror vacui is evident in this scene. Every surface of the gods' body is dripping with feathers and jewels; entire wings, animated with the jawless head of a reptilian creature, extend from their elbows and flare into the interstitial space. This style of painting has been associated with pottery naming the ruler of Naranjo, Aj Wosal Chan K'inich, who ruled from A.D. 546 to around 615. Naranjo, a large city in the east of Petén, Guatemala, was an important center for painters of pottery vessels for many centuries. Owners of this vessel prized it so much that when it fractured in antiquity, they drilled holes on either side of the crack to repair with a binding fiber. James Doyle, 2016.

Labret. Maya; Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 200 AD-700 AD. Dimensions: L. 3.8 cm (1 1/2 in.). Stone and pigment. Origin: Mexico.

Ear Spool. Classic Maya; Mexico, Guatemala or Honduras. Date: 250 AD-900 AD. Dimensions: W. 9.8 cm (3 7/8 in.). Jadeite. Origin: Central America.

Ritual Vessel in the Form of a Head. Late Classic Maya; Yucatán, Mexico. Date: 600 AD-900 AD. Dimensions: H. 10.2 cm (4 in.). Ceramic. Origin: Mexico.

Eccentric Flint. Maya; Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 100 AD-300 AD. Dimensions: 19.7 x 14 cm (7 3/4 x 5 1/2 in.). Flint. Origin: Mexico.

Covered Vessel with the Principal Bird and Peccary Heads. Early Classic Maya; Petén region, Guatemala. Date: 200 AD-300 AD. Dimensions: 24.8 × 25.4 cm (9 3/4 × 10 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Guatemala.

Figure of a Standing Warrior. Late Classic Maya, Jaina; Campeche or Yucatán, Mexico. Date: 650 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: H. 31.1 cm (12 1/4 in.). Ceramic with pigment. Origin: Yucatan, Península de.

Altar support in the form of Atlanta, 800-1300 AD (stone), Mayan. Post-classical period. Mexico.

Footed Jar Incised with Pseudo-Gylphs. Maya; Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 250 AD-600 AD. Dimensions: . Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Mexico.

Vessel with Deity Figures. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 7 11/16 x Diam. 6 1/4 in. (19.5 x 15.9 cm). Date: 7th-8th century.

Figure of a Jaguar Attacking a Man. Maya; Possibly Tabasco, Mexico. Date: 250 AD-900 AD. Dimensions: 4.5 x 7 cm (1 3/4 x 2 3/4 in.). Wood. Origin: Mexico.

Vessel. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 5 2/3 x Diam. 5 3/4 in. (14.4 x 14.6 cm). Date: 6th-9th century.

Miniature Mask. Possibly Mixtec; Possibly northern Oaxaca, Mexico. Date: 1300-1400. Dimensions: H. 14 cm (5 1/2 in.). Wood, gold foil, and shell with pigment and resin. Origin: Mexico.

Vessel Depicting a Mythological Scene. Maya, Codex Style; Petén region, Guatemala or Mexico. Date: 600 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: 16.5 × 11.4 cm (6 1/2 × 4 1/2 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Guatemala.

Dintel nº 32. Siglo VIII.

Vase Depicting a Courtly Scene. Late Classic Maya; Petén region, Guatemala. Date: 600 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: 19.1 x 15.9 cm (7 1/2 x 6 1/4 in.). Earthenware, slip, stucco, and pigment. Origin: Guatemala.

Figure with Helmet Mask. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 6 5/8 x W. 3 1/4 x D. 2 1/2 in. (16.8 x 8.3 x 6.4 cm). Date: 7th-8th century.

El tocado de Plumas. Siglos VI-IX.

Hieroglyphic Altar. Late Classic Maya; Possibly Bonampak/Lacanha area, Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 650 AD-700 AD. Dimensions: 21.6 × 37.5 × 41.9 cm (8 1/2 × 14 3/4 × 16 1/2 in.). Limestone. Origin: Bonampak.

Plate Depicting a Dancing Figure. Late Classic Maya; Possibly Petén region, Guatemala. Date: 600 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: Diam. 27.9 cm (11 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Guatemala.

Footed Vessel. Culture: Maya (?). Dimensions: Height 4-7/8 in.. Date: 14th-15th century (?). This vessel is carved from a translucent stone, commonly known in Mexico as <i>tecali</i>. Named for the town of Tecali de Herrera in southern Puebla where abundant sources are known, the stone is also found in central Oaxaca and in the southern Maya lowlands. <i>Tecali</i> is often referred to as Mexican onyx; it is, however, not agate but a calcite, a soft stone, similar in appearance to alabaster. It was a valued material throughout ancient Mesoamerica and many ritual and luxury items were made from it. At Teotihuacan, masks, statuary, and vessels of various shapes are fabricated from <i>tecali</i>. During the last centuries before the conquest, effigy vessels, often of substantial size, in the shape of deities and animals such as monkeys or coyotes, were carved from it in many parts of Mesoamerica. Elegant footed vessels of a shape similar to this example with slightly flared walls with a delicate lip were found in offerings at Uxmal and Chichén Itzá, and from the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan have come examples in ceramic. To hollow out the stone containers, bamboo drills were used. The surface was smoothed and polished to remove the drill marks--still visible on many examples. Because of the softness of the stone, it does not take a high, lasting gloss. Its translucency and veining range in color from white to many shades of brown. They lend considerable visual appeal.

Vessel Depicting a Sacrificial Ceremony for a Royal Accession. Late Classic Maya; Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 650 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: H. 19.7 cm (7 3/4 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Mexico.

Figure of an Aristocratic Lady. Late Classic Maya, Jaina; Campeche or Yucatán, Mexico. Date: 650 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: H. 20.3 cm (8 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Yucatan Peninsula.

Standing Male Figure. Late Classic Maya, Jaina; Campeche or Yucatán, Mexico. Date: 650 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: H. 15.6 cm (6 1/8 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Campeche.

Deity Face Pendant. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm). Date: 7th-8th century. This apple-green jade ornament represents the avian face of Ux Yop Hu'n ("Three Leaves Paper" or "Three-Leaf-Paper") a complex supernatural being that personified the paper headband worn by ancient Maya rulers. This figure is also frequently referred to in the literature as "the foliated Jester God." His forehead is infixed with a hieroglyphic sign that translates as ajaw, or ruler (a schematic face comprised of two dots for eyes and one for a mouth). Ux Yop Hu'n is shown cross-eyed, his squared pupils looking inward toward a furrowed brow. In Maya art, this eye is a diagnostic feature of shining, solar, and/or resplendent supernatural beings. Below, a small nose with curling nostrils is carved atop a downturned beak. When seen in profile images, this bird beak has a distinct bracket shape (see, for instance, 1978.412.90a, b). Because jade is so difficult to carve, and because the artist was likely following the contours of a thin vein of apple-green jade, the beak has been flattened down in low relief against the face, overhanging the mouth. Two scrolls are visible on either side of the forehead, above (but separate from) the figure's beaded earflare assemblages. From each of these scrolls descends a curving stem and leaves of vegetation. These vegetal symbols represent amate or fig leaves (ficus, sp.). In the ancient Maya world, amate bark was hammered out into thin sheets to make paper and cloth. When seen in iconography and inscriptions, amate stems and leaves can be read as hu'n, or "paper." Jade objects like this one are frequently seen in Maya art as the central jewel of rulers' headbands. During accession rituals, the king received the paper headband of rulership, a transformative moment in which he was "wrapped" into the office of kingship, transitioning from human mortal into divine king. That this ornament likely did serve as a central headband jewel is suggested by the two suspension holes and connecting channel that are carved out of its reverse side. These would have been used to affix the ornament to the paper headband. Five tiny holes (two on either side of the face and one at the top of the forehead) were drilled through the edges of the ornament, while five slightly larger L-shaped holes were drilled behind the bird's chin, allowing for the suspension of additional beads or strings of beads. Because this headband jewel is depicted in Maya iconography as a face with three elements projecting from its forehead (much like the tri-point hats worn by court jesters in the western world), this motif was dubbed the "Jester God" during the 1970s. This nickname has remained in use ever since, despite its misleading connotations. This supernatural face embraces multiple, simultaneous meanings. David Stuart, for instance, has recently demonstrated that this particular foliated version of the Jester God (there are also fish and maize versions) serves as a hieroglyph that can be read as Ux Yop Hu'n ("Three Leaves Paper" or "Three-Leaf-Paper"). In hieroglyphic passages, the sign is reduced to a forehead infixed with an ajaw glyph that sprouts three amate leaves--if the avian face of this ornament were removed, this hieroglyphic sign for paper is what would remain. Although only two stems of vegetation are visible, a third is implied. It may even have been physically recreated by affixing a string of jade beads through the small hole in the top of the bird's forehead. The ornament, then, is self-referential: used as the central jewel of a ruler's amate paper headband, it simply and clearly labels itself and the cloth to which it was once attached as the paper headband of kings. In addition to its role as a specific hieroglyphic label, this supernatural face should also be seen as the divine embodiment of paper, which was considered an animate substance in the ancient Maya world. In art, for example, this face is found atop books to represent the embodied essence of paper. This ornament, then, not only serves as a label describing the headband of rulers, but should be understood as a personified, animate paper headband in and of itself. This face also serves as the proper name Ux Yop Hu'n, a mytho-historical "proto-ruler" found in a number of Classic period inscriptions. The potential play between the words juun (one) and hu'n (headband) suggest that these may be equivalent names for the same personage, Juun Ajaw ("First King"), who acceded to office in mythic time. Juun Ajaw was the first ruler to take on the paper headband, thereby setting mythological precedent for future kings. At accession, the wrapping of the paper headband around the forehead of a new Maya ruler would have referenced Juun Ajaw, equating the new king with his mythical predecessor. This jade ornament would have labeled the king who wore it as Ux Yop Hu'n himself, a present iteration of the first, prototypical king. If one strips away the infixed ajaw forehead and hanging foliage of this ornament, one is left with the face of the Principal Bird Deity, a great supernatural bird associated with wealth and rulership in ancient Maya myth. The Principal Bird Deity served as the embodiment of all things precious, including green growing crops, the iridescent green feathers of the quetzal bird, and life-giving rain. Above all, though, he was envisioned as a great, resplendent avian embodiment of jade. With jade beads strung through the five holes along the edges of this ornament, the face of the Principal Bird Deity would have literally dripped with jade. Additional strings of beads threaded through the tiny holes behind the bird's chin would have given him a jewel-beaded beard, a feature commonly exhibited by the Principal Bird Deity in art (see 1979.206.1069) that associated him with shining drops of rain. The word "jade," when used in Mesoamerican contexts, refers specifically to jadeite. All Mesoamerican jade comes from a single source, located in the Motagua River Valley of eastern highland Guatemala. Such a restricted point of access made jade a particularly rare and valuable material, an important element in elite trade networks and economic exchange systems in the ancient Maya world. In this world, religious belief and ideology were not separable from matters of economy, so the power of the king derived as much from mythical precedents and divine sanction as it did from the practical realities of agricultural production and economic success. The highly desirable apple-green shade of this jade ornament and its depiction of the Principal Bird Deity therefore proclaimed the ruler's control over systems of economic exchange and access to exotic trade materials. (For more on jade, please see the entry for 1994.35.582.) The Principal Bird Deity was not just wealth and riches personified, but, much like Ux Yop Hu'n, was simultaneously conceptualized as a mytho-historical figure, a deity associated with the beginnings of kingship and the foundations of human rule. Recent research has demonstrated that the Principal Bird Deity represented one of the great primordial sacrifices in mythic time that gave rise to humankind. Much as the Maize God was believed to have given of his own flesh to create the first humans, the Principal Bird Deity gave his flesh (that of resplendent jade and agricultural riches) to give rise to the first human kings. For more on the Principal Bird Deity (including this great mythical sacrifice), please see the entries for 1979.206.1069 and 1978.412.90a, b. The two distinct sets of five small holes drilled into this ornament represent a noteworthy detail. In ancient Maya religion, the number five was associated with the four corners and center of the cosmos. The repeated use of five holes thus subtly connected the king who once wore this ornament with the world center. Maya mythic histories tell of the setting up of the world, in which four great trees were raised at the corners of the cosmos, with a fifth marking the center. The Principal Bird Deity appears to have been associated with the raising of these trees, laying out the four-sided world for humankind to occupy. In a similar vein, the forehead of Ux Yop Hu'n is frequently depicted as a tree with three branches, a clear reference to the axis mundi, which was envisioned as a great tree with its roots in the Underworld and branches in the heavens. This jade ornament, then, closely associated its wearer with cosmic origins and the center of the world. Traces of red pigment, which scientific examination has identified as iron oxide, can be seen in some of the crevices of this ornament. Red pigments, such as iron oxide and cinnabar, were frequently used to paint the bodies of deceased royalty and their belongings, so it is very likely that this headband jewel was found in a royal tomb context. Red pigments were closely linked to blood, while green jade was associated with living breath, new growth, and life. The combination (and juxtaposition) of blood red pigments with bright green jade in the context of a royal tomb was thus highly symbolic, ensuring eternal life for the deceased king and his rebirth into divine realms from the earthly world. In sum, this small ornament embraces a multitude of layered meanings. First, it is a phonetic hieroglyph for the paper headband of rulers. Second, it represents the face of embodied paper. Third, and more specifically, it is the personification of the headband of rulers, which was used during accession rites to transform human mortals into divine kings. Fourth, it represents the proper name of the first prototypical Maya king, linking the ruler who wore it to mythical precedent and labeling him as the present incarnation of this first primordial king. These references are simultaneously underpinned with allusions to jade, wealth, preciousness, and agricultural success. The face of the Principal Bird Deity acts as a kind of shorthand meant to connect the ruler wearing this headband jewel to one of the great primordial sacrifices that, by bestowing earthly riches upon the first human kings, thereby gave to them the divine right to rule. Finally, this ornament located its wearer at the center of the world, connecting him with the deep, mythical origins of the cosmos, when the four sides of the world were established and the great world tree was raised to mark its center. -Lucia R. Henderson, Pamela and Sylvan C. Coleman Fellow, 2015 Cited Sources and Additional Reading Christie's Auction House. 2005. Art Africain, Oceanien et Precolombien. 6 Dec. 2005, Paris. See Lot 428, p.164 for a published image of the ornament. Fields, Virginia M. "The Iconographic Heritage of the Maya Jester God." In Sixth Palenque Round Table, 1986, edited by Merle Greene Robertson, 167-74. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1991. Fields, Virginia M. The Origins of Divine Kingship among the Lowland Classic Maya. Doctoral Dissertation, Department of Art and Art History, University of Texas at Austin, 1989. Freidel, David A. "The Jester God. The Beginning and End of a Maya Royal Symbol." In Vision and Revision in Maya Studies, edited by Flora S. Clancy and Peter D. Harrison, 67-78. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1990. Freidel, David A., and Linda Schele. "Kingship in the Late Preclassic Maya Lowlands: The Instruments and Places of Ritual Power." American Anthropologist 90, no. 3 (1988): 447-567. Freidel, David A., Linda Schele, and Joy Parker. Maya Cosmos: Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path. New York: William Morrow, 1993. Grube, Nikolai. "The Insignia of Power." In Maya: Divine Kings of the Rain Forest, edited by Nikolai Grube, 96-97. Cologne: Könemann, 2006. Guernsey, Julia. "Signifying Late Preclassic Rulership: Patterns of Continuity from the Southern Maya Zone." In The Southern Maya in the Late Preclassic: The Rise and Fall of an Early Mesoamerican Civilization, edited by Michael Love and Jonathan H. Kaplan, 115-38. Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2011. Guernsey, Julia, and F. Kent Reilly, eds. Sacred Bundles: Ritual Acts of Wrapping and Binding in Mesoamerica, Ancient America Special Publication Number One. Barnardsville: Boundary End Archaeological Research Center, 2006. Henderson, Lucia R. Bodies Politic, Bodies in Stone: Imagery of the Human and the Divine in the Sculpture of Late Preclassic Kaminaljuyú, Guatemala. Doctoral Dissertation, Department of Art and Art History, University of Texas at Austin, 2013. See especially pp. 333-391. Miller, Mary Ellen, and Simon Martin. Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya. San Francisco and New York: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and Thames & Hudson, 2004. See especially Cat. 22, 23, and 25. Pillsbury, Joanne, Miriam Doutriaux, Reiko Ishihara-Brito, and Alexandre Tokovinine, eds. Ancient Maya Art at Dumbarton Oaks, Pre-Columbian Art at Dumbarton Oaks, No. 4. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2012. See especially pp. 146-150. Reilly, F. Kent. "Olmec Ideological, Ritual, and Symbolic Contributions to the Institution of Classic Maya Kingship." In Lords of Creation: The Origins of Sacred Maya Kingship, edited by Virginia M. Fields and Dorie Reents-Budet, 30-36. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2005. Saturno, William A., Karl A. Taube, David Stuart, and Heather Hurst. The Murals of San Bartolo, El Petén, Guatemala. Part 1, the North Wall. Ancient America, No. 7. Barnardsville: Center for Ancient American Studies, 2005. See especially pp. 25-31. Schele, Linda. "Observations on the Cross Motif at Palenque." In Primera Mesa Redonda de Palenque: A Conference on the Art, Iconography, and Dynastic History of Palenque, edited by Merle Greene Robertson, 41-62. Pebble Beach: Robert Louis Stevenson School, Pre-Columbian Art Research, 1974. See especially p. 42. Schele, Linda. "Genealogical Documentation on the Tri-Figure Panels at Palenque." In Proceedings of the Tercera Mesa Redonda De Palenque. Third Palenque Round Table, edited by Merle Greene Robertson and Donnan Call Jeffers, 41-70. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1978. See especially pp. 47-49. Schele, Linda, and David A. Freidel. A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya. New York: Morrow, 1990. Schele, Linda, and Mary Ellen Miller. The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art. New York and Fort Worth: G. Braziller and the Kimbell Art Museum, 1986. See especially pp.79, 83, 111-120, pl.11 and pl. 23. Stuart, David. "Kings of Stone: A Consideration of Stelae in Ancient Maya Ritual and Representation." Res 29-30 (1996): 148-71. Stuart, David. "La concha decorada de la tumba del Templo Del Búho, Dzibanché." In Los cautivos de Dzibanché, edited by Enrique Nalda, 132-40. Mexico: Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, 2004. Stuart, David. "The Name of Paper: The Mythology of Crowning and Royal Nomenclature on Palenque's Palace Tablet." In Maya Archaeology 2, edited by Charles Golden, Stephen Houston and Joel Skidmore, 118-48. San Francisco: Precolumbia Mesoweb Press, 2012. Stuart, David. "The Royal Headband: A Pan-Mesoamerican Hieroglyph." In https://decipherment.wordpress.com, 2015 [2008]. Taube, Karl A. "The Jade Hearth: Centrality, Rulership, and the Classic Maya Temple." In Function and Meaning in Classic Maya Architecture, edited by Stephen Houston, 427-79. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton oaks Research Library and Collection, 1998. Taube, Karl A. "The Symbolism of Jade in Classic Maya Religion." Ancient Mesoamerica 16 (2005): 23-50. Taube, Karl A., William A. Saturno, David Stuart, and Heather Hurst. The Murals of San Bartolo, El Petén, Guatemala; Part 2: The West Wall. Ancient America, No. 10. Barnardsville: Boundary End Archaeological Research Center, 2010. See especially pp. 65-69.

Plate in the Form of a Jaguar with Interior Painted with Floral-Like Motif. Maya; Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 200 AD-700 AD. Dimensions: 9.2 x 32.1 cm (3 5/8 x 12 5/8 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Mexico.

Footed Vessel. Maya; Mexico or Guatemala. Date: 200 AD-700 AD. Dimensions: 15.9 x 15.9 cm (6 1/4 x 6 1/4 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Mexico.

Life of the Buddha: The Birth of the Buddha. Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 29 1/2 x 43 7/8 in. (75 x 111.5 cm). Date: early 15th century. On the right side of the painting, Queen Maya grasps a tree branch while walking through the Lumbini gardens, and the baby emerges from her side. On the left, heavenly musicians play music and throw flowers in celebration as the newborn immediately takes seven steps marked by lotus flowers and, raising his right hand, declares, "Among all divine beings, only I am lord, most holy and victorious." He is then given his first bath--a heavenly lustration by dragons.

Figure. Culture: Veracruz. Dimensions: H. 8 1/2 x W. 2 5/8 x D. 2 1/8 in. (21.6 x 6.7 x 5.4 cm). Date: 7th-10th century. The modern state of Veracruz lies along the Mexican Gulf Coast, north of the Maya lowlands and east of the highlands of central Mexico. Culturally diverse and environmentally rich, the people of Veracruz took part in dynamic interchanges between the three regions that over the centuries included trade, warfare, and migration. During the middle centuries of the first millennium, the artistically gifted Veracruzanos created particularly inventive ceramic sculpture in diverse yet related styles. Each of these three standing figures is unique, but they share many details: the curled hair (or hats with curls) with traces of white coloring, the barlike chest ornaments, the projecting ear ornaments, and the elaborate belts or loincloths. The wide mouths are open to show off sparkling teeth that have been blackened with hematite crystals, which are rare on Veracruz ceramic figures. The black pupils of the wide eyes, on the other hand, are a resinous material called <i>chapapote</i> that is not uncommon on Veracruz figures. The varying details on the costumes give the figures an odd appearance of rank, as if they were performers of some kind or military men in dress uniform. It is a narrative note unusual among groups of ceramic figures of this period.

Metate Fragment. Culture: Maya-Cocal. Dimensions: H.10 1/16 x W. 6in. (25.6 x 15.2cm). Date: 12th-14th century.

Figure. Culture: Veracruz. Dimensions: H. 8 1/4 x W. 2 5/8 x D. 2 1/4 in. (21 x 6.7 x 5.7 cm). Date: 7th-10th century. The modern state of Veracruz lies along the Mexican Gulf Coast, north of the Maya lowlands and east of the highlands of central Mexico. Culturally diverse and environmentally rich, the people of Veracruz took part in dynamic interchanges between the three regions that over the centuries included trade, warfare, and migration. During the middle centuries of the first millennium, the artistically gifted Veracruzanos created particularly inventive ceramic sculpture in diverse yet related styles. Each of these three standing figures is unique, but they share many details: the curled hair (or hats with curls) with traces of white coloring, the barlike chest ornaments, the projecting ear ornaments, and the elaborate belts or loincloths. The wide mouths are open to show off sparkling teeth that have been blackened with hematite crystals, which are rare on Veracruz ceramic figures. The black pupils of the wide eyes, on the other hand, are a resinous material called <i>chapapote</i> that is not uncommon on Veracruz figures. The varying details on the costumes give the figures an odd appearance of rank, as if they were performers of some kind or military men in dress uniform. It is a narrative note unusual among groups of ceramic figures of this period.

Manolete ( Manuel Santiago Maya). Teatro Isabel La Católica. Granada 2003.

Bowl, Mythological Scene. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: Height 4-1/8 in. (10.5 cm) Diameter: 7 1/8 in.. Date: 8th century. The enigmatic scene on this cup painted in the 'codex-style' shows a jaguar holding an enema bladder with a syringe wearing what seems to be a bib made of white cotton. The ancient Maya consumed alcoholic beverages through enemas; special bone enema tubes have been found in royal tombs. In this scene, a supernatural bi-cephalic serpent is shown emerging from the enema; the head of the serpent to the left of the rollout photograph holds an axe, as if to threaten a skeletal death god. The death god is shown legless with its hands raised to the right of the jaguar. This type of jaguar makes an appearance in other vessel scenes, though a lack of comparative imagery and an overpainted hieroglyphic text impedes interpretation of the scene. 'Codex-style' pots are so-called for the style of painting which bears a close resemblance to the four extant screen-fold Maya books, known as codices, located in Madrid, Paris, Dresden, and Mexico City. These books date to the Postclassic Period (ca. a.d. 1000-1492). The characteristics of the codex-style are a cream or yellowish slipped background, often framed by red bands above and below, and a black calligraphic line outlining figures and hieroglyphic texts. Sometimes the painters applied a gray wash to shade figures or other features. In contrast to the richly polychromed vases and bowls from the large corpus of Maya vessels, codex-style pots stand apart in their grayscale, which is almost certainly a reflection of their development vis-à-vis calligraphic books.

Stamp, Monkey. Culture: Aztec. Dimensions: Overall: 1 3/8 x 1 3/4 in. (3.51 x 4.45 cm) Other: 1 3/8 x 1 1/8 in. (3.51 x 2.79 cm). Date: 14th-early 16th century. This ceramic stamp features the image of a monkey in profile with its arms splayed to either side of its head. The parallel lines radiating out from the monkey's crown resemble the shock of unkempt hair of the Mexican spider monkey. Its upright stance and flexed knees create a sense of movement in the figure--as if it were walking--while its rotund, helical belly is a playful element of abstraction. As the German archaeologist Eduard Seler long ago noted, in ancient Mexico, the spider monkey was connected with the themes of music, dance, and clowning. In Nahuatl, the monkey is called <i>ozomatli</i> and is the eleventh day sign of the ancient Aztec calendar. Unlike our calendar today, which consists of twelve months of approximately thirty days each, the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples used "months" of just twenty days. Each day was given a number and named after a different animal or other natural element--for example, "1 Crocodile," "2 Reed," or "4 Movement (Earthquake)." Monkeys were closely associated with the wind deity Ehecatl, whose teardrop-shaped earrings (<i>epcololli</i>) and split-conch necklaces are often depicted in sculpted images of primates. Almost invariably, artists in the Postclassic period (ca. 900-1521) showed monkeys with large stomachs, animated facial expressions, and attenuated tails that they often hold in their paws. Ceramic stamps were made in Central Mexico from the Early Formative period (ca. 1800-1200 B.C.) and continued into the early sixteenth century. It is assumed that the earliest examples of such objects functioned much as they did among the Aztecs three millennia later: as ornamental devices used to decorate clothing, ceramic vessels, and even the body. They typically feature abstract geometric designs or stylized animal imagery, often in repeating patterns. Commonly found interred with human remains, these stamps were apparently valued as highly in death as they were in life. William T. Gassaway, 2014-15 Sylvan C. Coleman and Pamela Coleman Fellow ----- <b>Resources and Additional Reading</b> Bierhorst, John. <i>History and Mythology of the Aztecs: The Codex Chimalpopoca</i>. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1992. Miller, Mary E., and Karl Taube. <i>The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya: An Illustrated Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion</i>. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 1993. Sahagún, Bernardino de. <i>The Florentine Codex: A General History of the Things of New Spain</i>. 12 vols. Translated and edited by Arthur J. O. Anderson and Charles E. Dibble. Santa Fe: School of American Research, 1950-82. For creation myth, see Bk. 11 ("Earthly Things"). Seler, Eduard. <i>Gesammelte Abhandlungen zur Amerikanischen Sprach- und Altertumskunde</i>. 5 vols. Berlin: Ascher, 1902-23. See esp. Vol. 4, pp. 456-59. Taube, Karl. <i>Olmec Art at Dumbarton Oaks</i>. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2004.

Illustrated Biography of Prince Shotoku. Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Overall: 67 5/8 x 33 1/4in. (171.8 x 84.4cm) Overall with mounting: 106 x 40 1/2 in. (269.2 x 102.9 cm) Overall with knobs: 106 x 43 1/4 in. (269.2 x 109.9 cm). Date: 14th century. Prince Shotoku (574?-622), a fervent champion of Buddhism against the often fierce opposition of the hereditary clans in charge of Shinto ritual, was venerated within a century after his death as an incarnation of the historical (Shakyamuni) Buddha. Tales of his miraculous life, inspired by narratives of the life of the Buddha, were painted in temples and shrines and included among the parables told by priests. These tales played a major part in the spread of popular Buddhism in medieval Japan. As a paragon of Buddhist virtue from a time before sectarianism, Shotoku appealed to many practitioners of the faith. This pair of hanging scrolls depicts sixty-two episodes from Shotoku's life, drawing parallels between him and Shakyamuni Buddha. For instance, while the Buddha's mother, Queen Maya, had a vision of Shakyamuni as a white elephant with six tusks, Empress Hashihito (d. 665) dreamed of her son Shotoku in the guise of a golden monk. Episodes are illustrated neither chronologically nor in an orderly spatial sequence; events that took place in the same location are, however, arranged closely together. Inscriptions in white cartouches are therefore included to identify each scene.

Necklace with Beads in the Shape of Jaguars' Teeth. Culture: Mixtec (Ñudzavui). Dimensions: W. (bead) 1 3/8 × L. (necklace) 15 1/4 in. (3.5 × 38.7 cm). Date: A.D. 1200-1521. This elegant gold necklace, created using the lost-wax technique, is composed of thirty-four gold beads in the shape of the carnassial teeth (molars) of a jaguar with an equal number of rattle bells joined to them with delicate "false-filigree" loops. Este elegante collar de oro, creado con la técnica de la cera perdida, está compuesto por treinta y cuatro cuentas de oro en forma de dientes carnosiales (molares) de un jaguar con el mismo número de campanas de cascabel unidas con delicados bucles de "filigrana falsas". This elegant gold necklace, created using the lost-wax technique, is composed of thirty-four gold beads in the shape of the carnassial teeth (molars) of a jaguar with an equal number of rattle bells joined to them with delicate "false-filigree" loops. False filigree refers to the process where artisans, rather than applying individual strands of metal, modeled the loops in wax and then cast them, creating a delicate lace pattern. One bell--the third on the proper right--is a modern replacement. Although gold working developed relatively late in Mesoamerica (after A.D. 600), metalsmiths developed innovative approaches in different regions and produced works of great artistry and technical sophistication. Oaxaca, one of the major sources for gold, was also one of the primary centers for the production of gold objects. Created by Mixtec (also known as Ñudzavui) artisans in the region that is now Oaxaca, this necklace is similar to one excavated by Alfonso Caso at the archaeological site of Monte Alban in 1931. In addition to the gold necklace, Tomb 7 also contained a necklace of real jaguar canine and carnassial teeth, along with intricately carved jaguar bones and a vase holding a single jaguar molar, most likely left as an offering. The skeletal remains of up to fourteen persons, including men, women, and children were found mixed together in Tomb 7. Their haphazard arrangement suggests secondary burial or the reuse of the tomb over time, perhaps as a shrine. But while the identity or even the gender of the primary occupant cannot be determined, it is clear that he or she was a person of great importance given the richness of the offerings found. Jaguars were closely associated with political and royal power in ancient Oaxaca and throughout Mesoamerica. They are the largest cats in the Americas, with a top speed of 50 mph. Fierce predators, they hunt on both land and in water and can attack from trees overhead. Jaguars have the most powerful bite, relative to their size, of any of the big cats, with a force approximately seven times their body weight. Their wide, short jaws allow for more muscle and strength across the top of its head and along the jaw, concentrating their force near the joint, creating a bite so powerful it can pierce the skull of its prey to kill it instantly. In Mesoamerica, the power of the jaguar was invoked in warfare, hunting, and the ritual ballgame. Jaguar warriors were the most elite military class among the Aztecs, and it was a rank one achieved only after defeating several enemies in battle. Warriors--and rulers stressing their military prowess--are depicted wearing jaguar helmets and headdresses. The Codex Mendoza, a manuscript created in 1542 but painted in a pre-Hispanic style, depicts jaguar pelts and full jaguar warrior costumes among the tribute items that Aztecs demanded from conquered areas. The ritual form of the Mesoamerican ballgame had close associations with both warfare and sacrifice (see The Mesoamerican Ballgame), and jaguar elements were sometimes included in a player's regalia. A stone sculpture in the Classic Veracruz style known as an <i>hacha</i>--itself an item of ballgame paraphernalia--depicts the head of a ballplayer wearing a jaguar helmet (see MMA 1979.206.371). Among the Classic Maya, only rulers wore jaguar pelts and sat on jaguar thrones. Wearing a jaguar pelt was a privilege to be earned, and the subtle allusion to powerful felines in the form of this necklace, along with the delicate sound created as the clapper-less bells would have knocked against each other as the wearer moved, undoubtedly signaled the importance of the individual who would have been privileged to wear it. Joanne Pillsbury, Andrall E. Pearson Curator of Ancient American Art, and Patricia J. Sarro, Professor Emerita, Youngstown State University, 2017.

Cylindrical Vessel. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 5 1/4 x Diam. 4 1/8 in. (13.3 x 10.5 cm). Date: 7th-8th century. This cylindrical vessel framed by red bands contains a hieroglyphic text around its rim and shows two seated gods. It is painted in the 'codex-style', and the artist used simple shading to emphasize the two figures. The deities could be a version of K'awiil, the Maya god of lightning, as evidenced by the smoking scrolls emerging from their foreheads. 'Codex-style' pots are so-called for the style of painting which bears a close resemblance to the four extant screen-fold Maya books, known as codices, located in Madrid, Paris, Dresden, and Mexico City. These books date to the Postclassic Period (ca. a.d. 1000-1492). The characteristics of the codex-style are a cream or yellowish slipped background, often framed by red bands above and below, and a black calligraphic line outlining figures and hieroglyphic texts. Sometimes the painters applied a gray wash to shade figures or other features. In contrast to the richly polychromed vases and bowls from the large corpus of Maya vessels, codex-style pots stand apart in their grayscale, which is almost certainly a reflection of their development vis-à-vis calligraphic books.

Troano Codex or Madrid Codex. Maya Codex - Written between the 13th and 15th century. Madrid, Museum of America.

Malinche (c.1496-1529). Nahua woman. Interpreter of the spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes. Mexican engraving, 1885. Colored. Library of Catalonia. Barcelona. Spain.

The Madrid Codex (Codex Tro-Cortesianus). Postclassic Period. There are 112 pages, which got split up into two separate sections, known as the Troano Codex and the Cortesianus Codex. These were re-united in 1888. This Codex's provenance has been suggested to be Tayasal, the last Maya city to be conquered in 1697. Museum of America. Madrid, Spain.

Page of the Tro-Cortesianus Codex or Madrid Codex Mayan Codex. Gods and Men. 13th-15th centuries. Madrid, Museum of America.

Page of the Tro-Cortesianus Codex or Madrid Codex. Mayan Codex. Gods and Men. 13th-15th centuries. Madrid, Museum of America.

Mexico.Mexico city.National Museum of Antropology.Maya culture.Painting of Bonampak.

Mexico.Mexico city.National Museum of Antropology.Maya culture.Funerary Mask of jade and funerary offerings of Pakal King of Palenque in Chiapas.

Mexico.Mexico D.F. .Museo Nacional de Antropologia.Calendario en piedra.Cultura Maya.

FACSIMIL - PAGINA DE CODICE TRO-CORTESIANO O DE MADRID - CODICE MAYA HECHO ENTRE EL SIGLO XIII Y XV - DIOSES Y HOMBRES.

Young Corn God, 8th century, Mexico, Mesoamerica, Maya, Ceramic, pigment, H. 8 1/8 x W. 2 x D. 1 1/2 in. (20.7 x 5.1 x 3.8 cm), Ceramics-Sculpture, This hand-modeled ceramic sculpture depicts the head and torso of a youthful Maize God emerging from the center of a ripe ear of corn. The young Maize God has idealized facial features and elongated head.

Geronimo de Aguilar (1489-1531). Spanish conqueror. Aguilar is presented to Cortes after eight years of slavery among the Indians. Volume I. Drawing by J. Altarriba and engraved by J. Carrafa. 1825.

PRE-COLUMBIAN ART. The tomb of King Pakal from the Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque.

Malinche (c.1496-1529). Nahua woman. Interpreter of the spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes. Mexican engraving, 1885. Library of Catalonia. Barcelona. Spain.

Page of the Tro-Cortesianus Codex or Madrid Codex Mayan Codex. Gods and Men. 13th-15th centuries. Madrid, Museum of America.

General View of Palenque Frederick Catherwood (1799-1854/British) Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan 1844.

PAGINA DE CODICE TRO-CORTESIANO O DE MADRID - CODICE MAYA HECHO ENTRE EL SIGLO XIII Y XV - DIOSES Y HOMBRES, CONJ. 002294.

FACSIMIL-PAGINA DEL CODICE TRO-CORTESIANO-CULTURA MAYA-DIOSES Y HOMBRES - S XIII AL XV.

Gateway at Labnah Frederick Catherwood (1799-1854/British) Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan 1844.

Page of the Tro-Cortesianus Codex. Facsimile. Page of the Tro-Cortesianus Codex. Mayan Culture. Gods and Men. 13th-15th centuries.

Page from the Madrid Codex (also known as the Tro-Cortesianus Codex). Mayan Culture . Fantasy creatures. 13th-15th centuries. Madrid, Museum of America.

Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan, Uxmal, views of ancient monuments, building at Las Monjas by Frederick Catherwood, 1844, (1799-1854).

Mexico.Yucatan..Z.A. de Chichen itza.Cultura Maya.Templo de los Guerreros y Piramide de Kukulkan.

Mexico.Mexico city.National Museum of Antropology.Maya culture.Painting of Bonampak.

Geronimo de Aguilar (1489-1531). Spanish conqueror. Aguilar is presented to Cortes after eight years of slavery among the Indians. Volume I. Drawing by J. Altarriba and engraved by J. Carrafa. 1825. Colored.

The Yaxchilan Lintels. Lintel 24. Structure 23. Carved limestone lintel. Depiction of a bloodletting ritual performed by the king of Yaxchilan, Shield Jaguar II and his wife, Lady K'ab'al Xook. The king holds a flaming torch over his wife, who is pulling a thorny rope through her tongue. Scrolls of blood can be seen around her mouth. Classic Maya. 723-726. Limestone. Yaxchilan, Chiapas, Mexico. British Museum. London, England, United Kingdom.

Pre-Columbian art. Central America. Maya. Lintel 16 from Yaxchilan, Late Classic Maya. 8th century. Lord Bird Jaguar IV with a captive. British Museum, London.

GLIFO DE BLOCKS PROCEDENTE DE PALENQUE - 19,7 X 20,8 X 15,5CM.

Mexico.Mexico city.National Museum of Antropology.Maya culture.Funerary Mask of jade and funerary offerings of Pakal King of Palenque in Chiapas.

Censer representing the god of rain Tlaloc. Postclassical period (1300-1521). Mixtec Culture. Ceramic, stucco, tufa and paint. Teotitlan del Camino (State of Oaxaca, Mexico). Dallas Museum of Art, State of Texas. United States.

Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan, views of ancient monuments, interior of principal building at Kabah by Frederick Catherwood, 1844, (1799-1854).

Madrid stele. Maya culture. Palenque. Late classical period. 600-800 A.D.. 46,5 x 29,5.

Tro-Cortesianus Codex or Madrid Codex - Pre-Columbian Maya book dating to the Postclassic period of Mesoamerican chronology (circa 900–1521 AD).

TEMPLO DE KUKULCAN O PIRAMIDE DE KUKULCAN CONOCIDO TAMBIEN POR EL NOMBRE DEL CASTILLO - SIGLO XII.

RICARDO ALMENDARIZ (S XVII). DIBUJO- BAJORRELIEVE DE LAS PILASTRAS INTERIORES DEL TEMPLO DE LA CRUZ - PALENQUE - 1789.

Mexico. Chichen Itza. Temple of Warrior. Enrance with Chac Mool sacrifical stone. 900-1200 AD. Maya-Toltec. Yucatan.

Mexico.Yucatan.Z.A. de Uxmal.Cultura Maya.Cuadrangulo de las Monjas.

Mexico city.National Museum of Anthropology.Maya culture.Codex.

Mexico city.National Museum of Anthropology.Maya stela nº51 from Calakmul.

Mexico city.National Museum of Anthropology.Mayan writing.

Portrait Of Maya With A Doll by Pablo Picasso, 1938, 1881-1973.

CABEZA EN BARRO DE GUERRERO O SACERDOTE PROCEDENTE DEL TEMPLO DE LAS INSCRIPCIONES DE PALENQUE - ESCULTURA MAYA.

Mexico.Yucatan.Z.A. de Chichen Itza.Cultura Maya.Chac-mol en el Templo de los Guerreros .

DIEGO RIVERA. TABLERO - MERCADO DE TLATELOLCO - TINTOREROS -PINTORES - CIVILIZACION TARASCA - SIGLO XX.

DIEGO RIVERA. TABLERO - CULTURA DE TAJIN - PINTORES DE TAPICES Y MATRIMONIO - CIVILIZACION TARASCA - SIGLO XX.

Mexico.Mexico city.National Museum of Antropology.Maya culture.Stucco head of the funerary crypt of Pakal King of Palenque in Chiapas. .

DIEGO RIVERA. BOARD - TLATELOLCO MARKET - DETAIL OF TATTOOED WOMAN - FRESCO. 20TH CENTURY.

Lintel 25. Lady K'ab'al Xook. Lady Xook is in the hallucinatory stage of the bloodletting ritual. She conjures before her a vision of a Teotihuacan serpent. This lintel is one of a series of three panels from Structure 23 at Yaxchilan. Limestone, 725-760. Late Classic Maya. Yaxchilan, Chiapas state, Mexico. British Museum. London, England, United Kingdom.

PRE-COLUMBIAN ART. The censer.

DIEGO RIVERA. MURO NORTE - MERCADO DE TLATELOLCO - TRUEQUE DE PRODUCTOS - FRESCO SIGLO XX.

DIEGO RIVERA. MURO NORTE - MERCADO DE TLATELOLCO - PUESTO DE VERDURAS - FRESCO - SIGLO XX.

Pre-Columbian Art. Maya. Mexico. 7th - 8th centuries. Palenque Archaeological Site, set of buildings constructed on an artificial platform. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. State of Chiapas.

Mayan ceramic vase, with an engraved figure of a god with a large nose. Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico 600-900AD.

PRE-COLUMBIAN ART. Bell pendant, in the Form of an Eagle Warrior.

Pre-Columbian art. Central America. Maya. Lintel 15 from Yaxchilan, Late Classic Maya. 8th century. British Museum, London.

. Facsimile. Page of the Tro-Cortesianus Codex: Gods. Mayan culture. 13th-15th centuries. Madrid, Museum of America.