Tall vase with regal dressing scene in palace.
Guatemalan Lowlands. Maya, AD 600–900.
Polychrome ceramic.
Jay I. Kislak Collection, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (40)
Photo ©Justin Kerr, Kerr Associates
Vase with Palace Scene
This tall, thin cylindrical Maya vessel is unique for its detailed picture of courtly life. Central to the scene is a standing ruler in his throne room being dressed for a ceremony by three attendants. A dwarf cavorts and amuses the king. Behind the king’s throne crouches one of his vigilant bodyguards, while behind the bodyguard stands a fan bearer whose ministrations keep the king cool. Many of the caption glyphs, probably intended to identify the participants in the ceremony by name and rank, are eroded and are illegible. The partially abraded hieroglyphs behind the ruler declare his status as “foremost [in the] world.”