Mayan Painted Cylindrical Vase

The painted urns of the Maya recorded for posterity the myths, legends, ceremonies and beliefs of that ancient empire. With fluid line and brilliant colors, that artist depicted the coming and going of mortals and gods: court ceremony, religious ritual, fantastic stories. Though humans figure prominently, the action is sometimes mysterious, undecipherable as a dream. A continuous frieze of six figures decorates this superb vase. Some seem comical, some regal, some are clearly human, others are surely gods. As we hold such an object, our imagination is set free to wander, inventing a plot for this ancient drama. – (PF.1416)