On view
Earflares in the form of flowers,
600–800
Flower Ear Ornaments
The ancient Maya made regular use of cross-sensory references to suggest things or sensations that are difficult to represent visually. The phenomenon of synesthesia—in which a concomitant sensation (such as a color) accompanies the sense being stimulated (as through a sound)–can explain the floral forms of these ear ornaments, originally worn by men and women alike. The Maya believed that the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears were conduits of the vital essences of energized bodies. Breath, scent, voice, and hearing were considered to be expressions of ik’, or wind. Floral motifs of this kind thus make smell visible, alluding to the fragrance of lordly ik’, the vital essence of great refinement and beauty.
Information
600–800
North America, Belize, Guatemala, or Mexico, Maya area
By 1987, Gillett G. Griffin (1928-2016), Princeton, NJ [1]; 2003, gift of Gillett G. Griffin to the Princeton University Art Museum.
Notes:
[1] Griffin lent to the Museum in 1987 (L.1987.57 a-d).
