Currently not on view

Seated male with a duck head headdress,

600–800

Maya
Late Classic Period
2007-8
While the most celebrated Jaina figurines were hand-modeled to provide individualistic detail, the majority of those that survive were produced through the use of one-sided clay molds. The artist pressed clay into the mold and pulled away the front half of the body; the heads were made using distinct molds. The back sides of such figures usually lack any details of the body, suggesting that these figurines were meant to be appreciated from a single side. This figure’s hefty body and the large jade bead on his chest signal wealth and comfortable living, while his broad-brimmed hat is a type that was worn by merchants.

More About This Object

Information

Title
Seated male with a duck head headdress
Dates

600–800

Medium
Ceramic with traces of polychrome pigment
Dimensions
h. 22.9 cm., w. 11.7 cm., d. 14.2 cm. (9 x 4 5/8 x 5 9/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Lloyd E. Cotsen, Class of 1950
Object Number
2007-8
Place Excavated

North America, Mexico, Campeche, Maya area, Jaina Island or vicinity

Marks/Labels/Seals
Painted on bottom: 1230-W Painted on bottom: 20 Pu2
Culture
Period
Materials