Pre-Columbian, southern Mexico and northern Central America, Mayan Territories, Late Classic, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A distinctive, flat-bottomed plate with flared sides and a central motif in tondo of a nobleman's or king's head. The face is classically Mayan, wth a prominent nose and very long, sloping forehead, representing beauty ideals that real Mayan lords seem to have cosmetically altered themselves to achieve. Feathers and a topknot form decoration that projects outward and upward from the face and head. Swirls and icons, in red and black, are painted on the cheeks and forehead, perhaps representative of tattoos worn by real Mayan people. Around this central motif is a ring of glyphs spaced out with bands of wave-like red. These glyphs are repetitive and probably spell out the name of the owner of the bowl or the one who commissioned it. A "kill hole" is in the center. Size: 13.3" W x 1.7" H (33.8 cm x 4.3 cm)

The Maya Classic phase is so named because it was the peak of their artistic and cultural achievements. Part of this, as in many societies, included highly specialized consumable goods. Elaborate plates like this one were designed to be instantly distinguishable from those used for everyday eating or drinking - not just in decoration, but also in quantity produced, making these a much rarer find than a piece of domestic pottery. Instead, a bowl like this one would be ritually "sacrificed" by having a hole put through its center; it would then be placed into a tomb as an offering.

Provenance: private D. C. collection, California, USA; D. C. is an Emmy Award winning Hollywood writer and Executive Producer, collected before 2000

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#126504

Repaired from multiple pieces, with repairs well done and difficult to see, especially on the painted surface. Legs are lost. Nice remaining pigment. "Kill hole" in center.