. Ancient Mexico and Central America. Indian art; Indian art. Only a very few Maya jacics of this impressive size and outstanding quality arc known. Made of the fine emerald-green jade favored by the Maya, this piece was further enriched by carving the relief design to varying planes in order to expose its areas of deepest green. Provision for its use as a pendant was made by a perforation through the entire width of the plaque which is about a half inch in thickness. The large central figure is shown seated with legs crossed in the Maya style. Small dwarf-like figures, a feature frequently fo
. Ancient Mexico and Central America. Indian art; Indian art. Only a very few Maya jacics of this impressive size and outstanding quality arc known. Made of the fine emerald-green jade favored by the Maya, this piece was further enriched by carving the relief design to varying planes in order to expose its areas of deepest green. Provision for its use as a pendant was made by a perforation through the entire width of the plaque which is about a half inch in thickness. The large central figure is shown seated with legs crossed in the Maya style. Small dwarf-like figures, a feature frequently found in the art of this area, are seated at either side of him. His animated gestures give the impression that he is speaking. Carved phujiie of green jade. Maya. Height 6'A inches. This beautiful tall vase—a masterpiece of Maya painting—is from the Late Classic Period of the lowlands of Guatemala where the pictorial art of the Maya reached a peak of excellence unequalled in the New World, in this tableau an event of importance is no doubt being commemorated, a significant meet- ing or confrontation. A view of the entire scene that encircles the vessel can be read from the photographs. At the right, separated by a panel of glyphs, are the two principal figures. The one on the left, distinguished by a voluminous jaguar headdress, kneels in an attitude of deference, subjection, or greeting, before an imperious figure in an imposing headdress. Behind the kneeling fig- ure are two attendants, one of whom wears a pendant in the form of a fish. Particularly noteworthy is the portrait-like detailing of the faces. Polychrome pottery vessel, four views. Late Classic Maya style. Guatemala. Height 8'A Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original American Museum of Natural History; Boltin, Lee; Meyer, Alf
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