THE MAYA  UNIVERSE   Dancer- Musician Figure. Its origin (México, Guatemala, or Honduras) is uncertain. Created in the Late Classic period (A.D. 600-900). Earthenware, molden, with red, black and "Maya blue" paint, 22 centimeters tall. The pieceBelongs to The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art Collection..

By Shelagh McNally / Photos by Frank Tancredi, Denver Art Museum y Justin Kerr.

Ever since the beginning of archaeology, the discovery of ceramic pieces and diverse pottery objects has contributed towards the specialists' understanding of ancient civilizations. In the Mundo Maya, the interpretation of glyphs and scenes depicted on pottery pieces have allowed great advances in gaining knowledge about this culture, especially with the information that concerns the ruling class, their daily life, religious beliefs and their customs.

    From September 9, 1999 to January 2, 2000, a collection of Maya artifacts was given a grand showing at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto, Canada. The exhibit called Maya Universe: Classic Maya Art, Patronage and Culture, A.D. 250-850, displayed a collection of 141 regal Maya ceramic, jade and stone objects mainly from The Petén Valley. Some of the objects had never been on public view.

    The showcase piece was the Buenavista vase. This exquisite piece of pottery was excavated from a pyramid at the Buenavista del Cayo archaeological site, in Belize. It was found inside the grave of a royal youth who was found wearing jaguar fur mittens and booties, and was covered with more than 8,000 obsidian blades. Crafted in the city of Naranjo-56 kilometers west of Buenavista (Guatemala)-in the early 8th century, it is thought to be a funeral gift from an important political figure.

    The vase depicts the dancing maize god wearing a backrack, which is a model of the Maya universe. A celestial bird sits in the heavens atop a sky band. Beneath are supernaturals symbolizing the cosmic "sky dragon" and "waterlily jaguar." They sit on the witz, or sacred mountain, through which one may gain access to the realm of the gods.

    The rim text states that the vase was made to contain fresh cacao beans, and that it was created for Lord K'ak-Til ("Fire-Tapir") the k'uhul ajau ("divine lord") and powerful ruler of Naranjo. Because of the archaeological circumstances of this vase's discovery, and by chemical analysis, it was concluded that, after having commissioned the vase, Lord K'ak-Til gave it to the ruler of Buenavista as a gift, perhaps as a funerary offering to his deceased son.

    Justin Kerr photographed many of the vases being displayed using a special "roll out" camera. This technique rotates the vase in front of a camera, while film moves past the shutter at the same speed as the turning vase. The result is one flat, continuous scene, rather than a series of photos taken in parts and glued together. These pictures were displayed alongside the actual vases. An example of Kerr's work accompanies a vessel from Guatemala [Right], where a food offering, consisting of liquid chocolate, is depicted. Chocolate is made from the roasted seeds of the cacao tree. The seeds are contained in fruit pods that grow directly from the trunk of the tree. These pods are worn around the neck of the kneeling effigy figure, while a woman holds a bowl that contains the chocolate.

    The Maya would make offerings at most every occasion. For example, when the construction of an important building was concluded, it was consecrated in a ceremony, which was dedicated to the gods. This seems to be the origin of this cache vessel from Guatemala.

    Crafted between A.D. 450-650, the vessel shows two supernaturals in the exterior, and objects—with symbolic meanings pertinent to the ritual—were probably placed inside the container. It may have been placed under the floor or stairway of an important building as part of a dedication ritual.

    In some cases, the origin of some pieces has not been identified. Such is the case of the clay figurine of a Maya lord. This figure is depicted dancing and playing a turtle carapace drum embellished with spherical seedpod rattles. The dancer's elaborate backrack pertains to the ideology of the cosmos. The geometric patterns on the dancer's clothing exemplify the extraordinary textile arts of the ancient Maya, which survive only as illustrations in clay, paint, and stone sculpture.