Bowl
Artist/Maker
Maya (archaeological culture)
(Mesoamerica)
Dateca. 600-900
Mediumpottery and paint
DimensionsOverall: 5 x 7 5/8 in. (12.7 x 19.4 cm)
ClassificationsContainers
Credit LineGift of Seymour Rosenberg
Terms
Object number81.0223
DescriptionThis elegant bowl shows three nearly identical portraits of a ruler in a palace setting; only the hand gestures of the individual vary. Each is framed by three glyph bands that are decorative rather than literate. Known as pseudo-glyphs, these elements indicate that the artist or individual who commissioned the bowl desired to convey literacy and the knowledge of writing, even though it was out of reach. A bowl such as this would have made a fine gift to exchange with a visiting dignitary or official.On View
Not on viewCollections