Pre-Columbian, Honduras, Ulua Valley, Mayan, ca. 550 to 900 CE. An exquisite Mayan polychrome cocoa cup, of a handbuilt cylindrical form on a raised concave foot, adorned by three coatimundis with characteristically pointy snouts in relief alternating with three Kukulkan (Quetzalcoatl, a powerful "feathered serpent" venerated throughout ancient Mesoamerica) heads/headdresses projecting from the central register, surrounded by an upper and lower register of stylized depictions of continuous repeated stepped pyramids or temples and orb-like suns. Above and below these registers are stylized hillsides or mountains. The sculptural aspect of this piece, casting the spotlight on three endearing coatimundi, is perhaps its most intriguing aspect. This animal's foraging behavior and voracious appetite explain why the ancients of the Americas oftentimes associated it with agricultural rites. Size: 6.75" W at widest point x 7.625" H (17.1 cm x 19.4 cm)

The Ulua Valley, centered around the large city of Cerro Palenque, remains a bit of a mystery for archaeologist, because 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.

The iconographic program is particularly rich on this piece as discussed above. Just to elaborate a bit more on Quetzalcoatl or Kukulcan, a powerful god among the indigenous of the Americas, in the words of the pioneering Mexican artist/anthropologist Miguel Covarrubias, whose classic tomes and illustrations continue to contribute to scholarly studies today, “Quetzalcoatl stood for all that was good in this world: peace, art, wisdom, and prosperity. Disguised as an ant, he discovered maize, the staple food of the Indians, hidden under the mountain of Substance, Tonacatepetl; he also invented the arts, the sciences, and the calendar. In fact, everything connected with wisdom and culture was attributed to Quetzalcoatl.” (Miguel Covarrubias, Mexico South: The Isthmus of Tehuantepec (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1946), p. 130.)

According to the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education scholars Dorie Reents-Budet and Ronald Bishop, "Today, when high-profile foreign dignitaries visit the White House, they can expect to attend grand dinners and to receive gifts, often custom-made by the best artists in the country. The gifts honor the visitor and showcase the giver's fine taste. In the days of the Classic Maya (250-900 CE), state-level gift-giving was little different, and no gift reflected more meaning or artistic expertise than the painted ceramic vase. Twenty years ago, the hieroglyphs, images, and even origins of these extraordinary vessels were little known. Now, advances in decipherment and chemical technology have made these vases invaluable for exploring the economic, political, and social exploits of the Maya. The vases, used both to serve food at feasts and as gifts presented at such events, were created by highly skilled painters who had mastered the intricacies of Classic Maya religious mythology, ideology, and history, and used hieroglyphic writing as both communication and visual poetry. Artists were highly regarded and often members of elite families." (Archaeology Archive, Vol. 56,Number 2, March/April 2003, abstract)

Provenance: Ex-private Colorado Springs, CO collection

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#121459

Stable pressure cracks on the base. Root marks covering interior walls and lower exterior/base. Minor surface wear, but iconography/design is quite vivid as shown. Superb!