Pre-Columbian, El Salvador, Mayan, Copador, ca. 550 to 900 CE. The interior of this elegant Mayan Copador bowl features a procession of five turkeys with worms dangling from their beaks in red and black surmounted by black and red bands around the top perimeter - and surrounding a red circular crest divided into quadrants on the tondo, with each quadrant housing a single red circle. Turkeys were a staple of the Mayan diet; however, they also symbolized good fortune; hence these birds may have been meant for ritual or daily consumption. The exterior is decorated with four seated scribes sitting against backrests with outstretched arms as if presenting offerings such as treasured books or implements to use in ballcourts of the Copan. Elaborate headdresses and ear spools underscore their elite standing. They reach out toward a traditional symbol that some scholars have interpreted as the scribes' ideas or thoughts. Size: 8" in diameter x 3.375" H (20.3 cm x 8.6 cm)

Provenance: private R. Moore collection, Houston, Texas, USA

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#126375

Normal surface wear with areas of pigment loss as shown. Wonderful root marks and manganese deposits.