Mayan Ulua Valley Polychrome Cylinder - Seated Lord - Apr 12, 2017 | Artemis Gallery In Co
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Mayan Ulua Valley Polychrome Cylinder - Seated Lord

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Mayan Ulua Valley Polychrome Cylinder - Seated Lord
Mayan Ulua Valley Polychrome Cylinder - Seated Lord
Item Details
Description
Pre-Columbian, Honduras, Mayan Ulua Valley, ca. 550 to 850 CE. A wonderful polychrome cylinder vessel with incredibly rich iconography. The theme is of a seated lord with an immense, elaborate headdress, shown kneeling. A fantastical bird creature in a square border is between the repeated lords. Top and bottom have glyphoid registers, with a painted base, which is a rarity. The painted designs are dense and evocative, rich in red and black on a background of orange and cream. The lord may be a stylized painting of a real individual; the bird probably refers to a god like Kukulkan (Quetzalcoatl), a powerful "feathered serpent" venerated throughout ancient Mesoamerica. Residue analysis on similar vessels suggests that this cylinder jar was almost certainly used for the ritual ingestion of a drink made from cacao (chocolate). Size: 6.75" W x 7.8" H (17.1 cm x 19.8 cm)

The Ulua Valley, centered around the large city of Cerro Palenque, is a mystery for archaeologists - unlike the Maya, they left no written records (the glyphoid designs on this vessel do not form words), and their connection to the Classic Maya is unclear. It seems to have been a point of trade and transport - a connecting link - between the Maya world further north and Central America. The pottery from the Ulua Valley is part of a very unique tradition different even from those found at nearby Copan.

Provenance: Ex-private North Carolina, USA collection acquired before 1980

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#118532
Condition
Repaired from multiple pieces, but repairs are well done, with no restoration, and do not impact the artwork on the exterior. Someone painted an accession number on the bottom of the base.
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Mayan Ulua Valley Polychrome Cylinder - Seated Lord

Estimate $5,000 - $7,500
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Starting Price $3,000
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Artemis Gallery

Artemis Gallery

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Louisville, CO, United States7,833 Followers
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