Pre-Columbian, Mexico and northern Central America, Maya, Late Classic Period, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A gorgeous pottery vessel presenting a column-like body with a flared rim and a flat base, all adorned in hues of light orange, red, pink, and blue with liberal remains of white stucco. Recessed vertical stripes decorate the body of the ancient vessel forming a motif reminiscent of a picket fence, while a horizontal band of incised images inhabits the area just below its rim. Highlighted in red, the abstract figures on this register represent Maya glyphs. The glyph motifs, a form of Maya script, are comprised of symbols that represent sounds and concepts conveying an ancient Maya message. An impressive example rich with Maya history! Size: 5.5" Diameter x 8" H (14 cm x 20.3 cm)Residue analysis on vessels like this one show that they were used for drinking chocolate, a hugely popular and ritual practice amongst the Maya, especially the elite. Although we know little about the artisans who made vessels like this one, we do know that cylinder jars are often associated with tombs, sometimes ritually broken. Prominent Maya scholar Michael Coe has connected the scenes depicted upon the most important of these vessels with the sixteenth century Maya written epic, the Popol Vuh, which describes Maya religion and mythology, as this one perhaps does. These ancient glyphs may convey an important date, a secret message, or simply be part of the vessel's aesthetic program. According to Dorie Reents-Budet, "One of the remarkable characteristics of Classic Maya painted pottery is the use of writing as more than simply a way to communicate ideas. As in the Islamic tradition, Maya artists employed calligraphy as a prime design feature and as an integral part of the total composition… The hieroglyphic texts also were used as compositional devices, placed specifically to help define the internal tensions, balances and divisions within the pictorial field." (Dorie Reents-Budet, "Painting the Maya Universe: Royal Ceramics of the Classic Period", Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1994, page 12) Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired in 2004; ex-Roy Oswalt collection, New Mexico, USA All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #168311