Cylindrical vase with polychrome decoration featuring a stylized scene in which celestial or aquatic creatures with sinuous bodies and elongated snouts move within a deep black background evoking the underworld or night sky. The upper register displays a continuous glyphic frieze. The overall decoration, based on strong contrasts between black, red, cream, and orange slips, reflects the refined production typical of so-called "Codex" vases. Polychrome terracotta, black, red, beige, and orange slips (repaired break). Maya, Guatemala, Central Petén region, Classic Period, 700-850 AD 20.5 × 8.5 cm

Provenance: Sotheby's NY sale, May 19, 2001, catalog no. 528 Private German collection The vase features the "Primary Standard Sequence" (PSS), a typical glyphic opening formula on Maya vases, followed by a ritual dedication: y-uk'ib' kakaw, "his vessel for cacao," along with the owner's name. The enigmatic figure at the center — likely a supernatural protective being - suggests a mythological narrative in which celestial serpents represent cosmic forces or channels of communication between worlds. This vase was most likely used for the ritual consumption of cacao in an aristocratic context. Through its craftsmanship, iconography, and elegance, the piece illustrates the fundamental interconnection between nature, writing, and the sacred in Maya civilization.

Maya Glyphic Vase
ceramic, pigment
for ritual drinking of cacao
Classic period 700-850 CE

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