Large Maya Polychrome Plate, Deity Head, Kill Hole
Pre-Columbian, Mexico or Guatemala, Maya, ca. 500–800 CE. A broad earthenware plate with steeply flaring walls, slipped cream and painted in red, orange, and black. The central roundel holds a profile deity head in three-quarter scale: fanged mouth, scrolled snout, dotted cheek, and a sweeping feathered headdress rendered in fine dark line. A ring of black triangles frames the medallion, and the interior wall carries a broad register of abstract geometric and scroll motifs beneath a red-painted rim. A small hole drilled through the center, at the deity's eye, is the customary kill hole, opening the vessel so it could accompany the dead. Presented on a custom metal display base. Size: 14.25" Diam (36.2 cm Diam).
Late Classic Maya polychrome plates of this scale were serving wares for elite feasting before they became grave furniture. When interred, many were ritually "killed," a hole punched or drilled through the base to release the vessel's animating force so that it could travel with its owner. That the perforation here falls precisely on the painted deity's eye is unlikely to be accident: piercing the eye of a supernatural is a recurring gesture in Maya termination ritual.
The fanged, scroll-snouted profile with dotted cheek markings belongs to the broad family of zoomorphic supernaturals painted on Peten and adjacent lowland wares, often read as an aspect of a saurian or jaguar deity. Without an accompanying glyph band, a firm identification of the individual god is not possible.
Provenance: Private Chicago collection. Ex. Dr. Jerome Grunes collection, Chicago. 1970’s, by descent to family.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73086
Condition
Overall general touchup to the painted decoration, otherwise the plate is unbroken, intact.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
Pre-Columbian, Mexico or Guatemala, Maya, ca. 500–800 CE. A broad earthenware plate with steeply flaring walls, slipped cream and painted in red, orange, and black. The central roundel holds a profile deity head in three-quarter scale: fanged mouth, scrolled snout, dotted cheek, and a sweeping feathered headdress rendered in fine dark line. A ring of black triangles frames the medallion, and the interior wall carries a broad register of abstract geometric and scroll motifs beneath a red-painted rim. A small hole drilled through the center, at the deity's eye, is the customary kill hole, opening the vessel so it could accompany the dead. Presented on a custom metal display base. Size: 14.25" Diam (36.2 cm Diam).
Late Classic Maya polychrome plates of this scale were serving wares for elite feasting before they became grave furniture. When interred, many were ritually "killed," a hole punched or drilled through the base to release the vessel's animating force so that it could travel with its owner. That the perforation here falls precisely on the painted deity's eye is unlikely to be accident: piercing the eye of a supernatural is a recurring gesture in Maya termination ritual.
The fanged, scroll-snouted profile with dotted cheek markings belongs to the broad family of zoomorphic supernaturals painted on Peten and adjacent lowland wares, often read as an aspect of a saurian or jaguar deity. Without an accompanying glyph band, a firm identification of the individual god is not possible.
Provenance: Private Chicago collection. Ex. Dr. Jerome Grunes collection, Chicago. 1970’s, by descent to family.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73086
Condition
Overall general touchup to the painted decoration, otherwise the plate is unbroken, intact.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
