Article
Teach with Collections: Late Formative or Early Classic Maya, Shell depicting a marine deity
Spondylus shells were prized throughout the tropical ancient Americas for their vibrant orange color. This object, possibly a pectoral, was made by carefully shaving away the outer, spiny layer and the white interior of the spondylus and making fine incisions on both sides. The outer surface presents a contorted face with a swollen eye and marine motifs, including a serpent emerging from a spiral shell on the right cheek. The marine motifs may mark the face as that of an unidentified sea deity. A hieroglyphic inscription on the inner surface includes a reference to the great Maya city of Tikal, Guatemala, far from the oceanic source of the shell.
Conversation prompts:
How did the artist use the convex shape of the spondylus shell, its red background, and red lines to create the figure's face?
In Maya culture, spondylus shells were associated with female genitalia, and their reddish orange hue likely alluded to childbirth and menstruation. What associations might we bring to the color red today?
Conversation prompts:
How did the artist use the convex shape of the spondylus shell, its red background, and red lines to create the figure's face?
In Maya culture, spondylus shells were associated with female genitalia, and their reddish orange hue likely alluded to childbirth and menstruation. What associations might we bring to the color red today?
