On view
Art of the Ancient Americas
Bowl with figures in relief,
700–1000
Classic Veracruz (Río Blanco style)
Late Classic Period to Epi Classic Period
2014-26
The relief on this vessel presents a densely packed series of humans with elaborate headdresses, animals, and hieroglyphs in square cartouches with appended bar-and-dot numerals. These glyphs refer to the 260-day ritual calendar used throughout Mesoamerica, and presumably name the individuals by their dates of birth. The decoration was produced by a combination of mold impression and subsequent refinement of forms by modeling and incision. The use of molds for pottery production seems to have originated at Teotihuacan in the first centuries a.d., subsequently becoming popular throughout Mesoamerica.
Information
Title
Bowl with figures in relief
Dates
700–1000
Medium
Molded and carved buff ceramic with traces of red pigment
Dimensions
h. 10.3 cm, diam. 15.7 cm (4 1/16 x 6 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, David L. Meginnity, Class of 1958, Fund and gift of Gillett G. Griffin
Object Number
2014-26
Place Made
North America, Mexico, Veracruz, Gulf Coast
Reference Numbers
PC-M-NC-GC-pcb4 (Maya Photographic Archive, Dumbarton Oaks)
Culture
Period
Type
By 1966, Gillett G. Griffin (1928-2016), Princeton, NJ [1]; 2014, partially sold and partially gifted to the Princeton University Art Museum.
Notes:
[1] Griffin lent the work to the Museum in 1966 (L.1966.158).
- E. Michael Whittington, ed., The sport of life and death: the Mesoamerican ballgame (New York: Thames & Hudson, 2001)., p. 251
- Cherra Wyllie, "Continuity and change in Late Classic Southern Veracruz art, hieroglyphs, and religion", in Classic Period cultural currents in Southern and Central Veracruz, eds. Philip J. Arnold III and Christopher A. Pool, (Washington D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library & Collection, 2008)., fig. 27a (illus. line drawing)
- "Acquisitions of the Princeton University Art Museum 2014", Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 74 (2015): p. 55-77., p. 73
