Cylindrical Vessel
1 of 6
Object Label
The use of animal imagery to support divine rule and convey military strength was common among the ancient Maya, whose Classic period dated from 250 to 900 in a region that encompasses modern-day Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, and portions of southern Mexico. This small ceramic figurine of a nobleman has a removable serpent-headed headdress decorated with the precious and sacred tail feathers of the iridescent-green quetzal bird, which is associated with the feathered-serpent deity Kukulcán. The ceramic vessel displayed here features a procession of eleven military victors following a naked, bound prisoner. Each warrior wears a tie-dyed textile, a trophy head suspended from his belt, and an animal headdress that may represent his warrior society.
Caption
Maya. Cylindrical Vessel, ca. 550–950 C.E.. Ceramic, pigment, 6 1/4 x 5 3/8 x 5 3/8 in. (15.9 x 13.7 x 13.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift in memory of Frederic Zeller, 1998.176.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1998.176.2.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Cylindrical Vessel
Date
ca. 550–950 C.E.
Geography
Possible place made: Highlands, Guatemala, Place collected: Yucatan, Mexico
Medium
Ceramic, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
6 1/4 x 5 3/8 x 5 3/8 in. (15.9 x 13.7 x 13.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift in memory of Frederic Zeller
Accession Number
1998.176.2
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
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This cylindrical vessel features a procession of warriors. If you look closely you'll notice that they are carrying trophy heads at their waists.
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