Gift of Frances Pratt

Painting, particularly on ceramic vessels, was the primary art form among the Maya. This plate is representative of the “turkey vulture” pottery tradition, a regional style that was created for a broad audience and used almost exclusively in burials. The vessel’s interior is decorated with the Muan bird, the messenger of the lords of the underworld. The “kimi” glyph, or death sign, emanates from the bird’s head just above the beak. On the interior rim, two centipedes swim in the underworld’s black waters.

Brooklyn Museum Collection

A. Augustus Healy Fund

Small, cylindrical tripod vessel decorated with a stucco polychrome design featuring the rain god Tlaloc with goggle eyes and a large, elaborate headdress. Condition: fair; paint losses and small hole on one side

Cream clay tripod consisting of a triangle base with three legs and slightly concaved sides.