On view
Art of the Ancient Americas
Warrior holding a shield,
600–800
Maya
Late Classic Period
y1991-69
This warrior’s reflective expression and slightly wrinkled face suggest age and experience while his doubled nose may indicate it was broken in battle. He holds a rectangular shield adorned with feathers in one hand; the other once held a now-lost weapon. His vest is a central Mexican type, a style that became popular in the Maya area during the eighth century. The vest’s decoration is associated with the central Mexican storm god, which the Maya adopted from Teotihuacan and used especially in military contexts.
More About This Object
Information
Title
Warrior holding a shield
Dates
600–800
Medium
Ceramic with traces of polychrome
Dimensions
h. 22.3 cm., w. 10.8 cm., d. 6.8 cm. (8 3/4 x 4 1/4 x 2 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Gillett G. Griffin
Object Number
y1991-69
Place Excavated
North America, Mexico, Campeche, Maya area, Jaina Island or vicinity
Reference Numbers
LC-f5-46 (Maya Photographic Archive, Dumbarton Oaks)
Culture
Period
Type
Materials
May 15, 1962, Aaron Furman, New York, sold to Gillett G. Griffin (1928-2016), Princeton, NJ [1]; 1991, gift of Gillett G. Griffin to the Princeton University Art Museum.
Notes:
[1] The Furman invoice in the curatorial file notes the sale of a Jaina figurine without additional description. A Griffin index card (M25) confirms this purchase from Furman.
- Linda Schele and Mary E. Miller, The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art (New York and Fort Worth, George Braziller, Inc. and Kimbell Art Museum, 1986)., pl. 52, 153, 168 (illus.)
- "Acquisitions of the Art Museum 1991," Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 51, no. 1 (1992): p. 22-78., p. 71
- Linda Schele, Hidden Faces of the Maya (Poway: ALTI Publishing, 1997)., pl. 23, p. 116 (illus.)
- Mary E. Miller and Simon Martin, Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya (San Francisco: Fine Arts Museum of San Fransisco, 2004)., pl. 13, p. 42 (illus., image reversed)
- Stephen D. Houston, David Stuart, and Karl Taube, The Memory of Bones: Body, Being, and Experience among the Classic Maya (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2006)., fig. 1.53, pp. 49–50; fig. 7.2, p. 229
