A Maya Polychrome Bowl with Aquatic Motifs Mesoamerica, Early Classic Period, c. 300-600 AD Dark brown earthenware with painted stucco in black, turquoise, orange, red-brown, and white. This extraordinary bowl illustrates the early Maya concept of the dark and roiling watery underworld with its fantastical creatures and plants in constant motion. It perfectly captures the essence of the Maya term for the ocean -- "k'hak' nahb" (fiery pool), probably with a reference to the way reflected sunlight on the surface of waves can look like fire. Each of these undulating creatures has the same vegetation element on its back, which the artist rendered with feather-like tendrils and fan shapes that wave as if under water. The black background symbolizes the darkness of the watery underworld and the blue on the creatures and plants, the precious, lifegiving marine resources of the mythic and actual sea. In very good, intact condition, no visible repairs or restorations, some loss to the painted stucco areas. Provenance: A Private Collection, New York, NY, acquired in 1989 Merrin Gallery, New York, NY Joyce Strauss, Denver, CO 1960s Diameter 6 ¾ inches HID03101062020 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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