Whistle in the Form of an Anthropomorphic Toad
1 of 6
Object Label
The Maya blue pigment on these figurines is still vibrant after fifteen hundred years. The two male figures represent members of the Maya royal court, as indicated by their elaborate garments and ornaments. The warrior wears a shell necklace, towering helmet-headdress and ear-spools; the nobleman wears a wide collar with long flaps, and a detachable bird-shaped headdress with feathered plumes. The whistle in the form of a composite monkey-human figure, or a man wearing a monkey mask, may refer to the patron god of artists, given the ability of monkeys to imitate what they see, as artists do.
Caption
Maya. Whistle in the Form of an Anthropomorphic Toad, 600–900. Ceramic, pigment, 5 x 2 x 1 1/2 in. (12.7 x 5.1 x 3.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift in memory of Frederic Zeller, 2009.2.21. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2009.2.21_overall_PS11.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Whistle in the Form of an Anthropomorphic Toad
Date
600–900
Geography
Place found: Mexico, Possible place made: Jaina Island, Campeche, Mexico
Medium
Ceramic, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
5 x 2 x 1 1/2 in. (12.7 x 5.1 x 3.8 cm)
Credit Line
Gift in memory of Frederic Zeller
Accession Number
2009.2.21
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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