Lot 244
  • 244

A Maya painted cylinder vessel, Late Classic, ca. A.D. 550-950

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

in codex style with the dramatic emergence of the God of Hunting coming out of the Bearded Dragon's (Och Chan) gaping jaws, the figure wearing distinctive straw hat, large deer ear with caban infix, and holding a conch shell horn, before him a low cache vessel with the hand, eyeball and bone ceremonial trio, the monster with silky beard trailing to the ground, tightly undulating repitilian body, a deer antler above his eye, and a Jester God head on the neck facing down with the tripartite jewels of the Maize god below, a huge deer ear with infix above, and foliated ahau symbol surmounting the upraised tail.

Catalogue Note

Cf. mayavase.com, K556, K1384 and K771, and Robicsek and Hales (1981:vessels 34-38), for the the related group of vases. 
This codex group principally involves the Bearded Dragon of Xibalba, Och Chan, and the animated God A, known as the god of Hunting and frequently depicted in skeletal form. The characteristic scene in Xibalba shows him emerging from the Bearded Dragon, each marked by deer's antlers, and making noisy conch shell trumpeting, calling forth the activities associated with the trio of sacrificial offerings.