Pre-Columbian, Central America, Guatemala, Peten Region, Maya, Late Classic Period, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A beautiful, hand-built pottery cylinder vessel of a flat-bottomed form with tall walls, a thick rim, and a deep basin, all surrounded by a decorative motif of cacao pods. Each piriform pod is attached to vertical suspension lines, perhaps to aid in the drying process, and their black coloration contrasts nicely against the white and orange ground panels. A band of orange-red pigment surrounds the exterior rim, and a matching band of orange pigment decorates the interior rim. Size: 3.62" Diameter x 5.8" H (9.2 cm x 14.7 cm)
This iconography would have had significant meaning to their Maya viewers. When roasted and ground, cacao beans were mixed into frothy drinks with vanilla, water, chilies, and other seasonings that all Maya people, both elite and common, enjoyed. Residue analysis of vessels like this one has revealed that they were used for consuming the hot chocolate-like drink.
Provenance: private Lumberton, Texas, USA collection, acquired before 2010
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#169619
Condition
Possible repairs to walls of vessel, with resurfacing and overpainting across exterior; interior break lines are barely visible. Several stable hairline fissures across lower and upper body, with chips and small spalls to rim and body, abrasions and fading to pigment, light staining within basin, and minor encrustations across scattered areas. Great preservation to cacao pod motif.