Object Name: Ceramic vessel
Cultural Group: Maya
Place of Origin: Yucatan, Mexico
Date: Classic Period, 250-900 C.E.
Materials Used: Ceramic
Dimensions: H: 16.0 cm, Diam: 16.2 cm (H: 6.3 in, Diam: 6.4 in)
Credit Line and Accession Number: Anonymous gift. X91.632

Maya artists of the Classic Period used texts and images to record and remember the achievements of particular city-states. This vessel is a type used by the elite to hold cacao (chocolate) beverages and is characterized by deep relief carving and the absence of paint. The image on this vessel is that of an elaborately dressed ballplayer-kneeling on his right knee, about to hit a heavy rubber ball with his hip or thigh. His kneepads and thick waist padding protect him from injury. The adjacent texts serve to dedicate and name the vessel and to list the personal names and titles of its owner.

Intersections: World Arts, Local Lives.