Polychromed Vase
| Culture | Maya |
|---|---|
| Title | Polychromed Vase |
| Date | 600–900 |
| Medium | Clay with pigment |
| Dimensions | Object: 8 3/4 × 5 7/8 in. (22.2 × 14.9 cm) Overall: 8 3/4 x 5 7/8 in. (22.2 x 14.9 cm) |
| Credit Line | Gift of Gordon Saks, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 80.110.1 |
| This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request. | |
A cylindrical polychrome vessel with red, orange, brown, and black pigments on a cream background. The vessel is decorated with a band of glyphs around the body of the vessel near the mouth, a wider band with a complex design in the center, and a band of simple shapes or glyphs near the base.
The Maya are well known for their writing system, glyphs, which utilized symbols representing both words and sounds. Dating to the third century BCE this writing style was used until the Spanish conquered the Maya in the 16th century.
Glyphs can be seen in a series around this vase at the top below the rim, a common feature on Maya vessels. These lines of glyphs sometimes identify the individual who commissioned the vessel originally.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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Cite this page
"Polychromed Vase | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=80.110.1