Two Pawatuns
Two Pawatuns
Two Pawatuns
Two Pawatuns
Two Pawatuns
Two Pawatuns

On view

Art of the Ancient Americas

Two Pawatuns,

ca. 550 CE

Signed Chak Til Mo’ (‘Red Tapir-Macaw’)
Patron: Til Man K’ihnich (Radiant Tapir ?)

Maya

Early Classic Period

2013-78 a-b

These sculptures represent two distinct aspects of Pawatuns, old male deities who are thought to support the world. One Pawatun resides in a conch shell. The other represents a hybrid creature combining fish fins and the hindquarters of a crocodile; a fish nibbles at the tip of this creature’s tail. Each Pawatun is embellished with brief hieroglyphic texts, including the name of the pair’s original patron: Til Man K’ihnich (Radiant Tapir ?), sovereign of the “water-scroll” kingdom, probably located in Belize. Another text tucked under the spiral of one Pawatun’s conch shell is an extremely rare artist’s signature, stating that “Red Tapir Macaw was the sculptor.” This is the earliest known sculptor’s signature—and thus the earliest known named artist—in the Americas.

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More About This Object

Collecting Art of the Maya

Information

Title
Two Pawatuns
Dates

ca. 550 CE

Maker
Signed Chak Til Mo’ (‘Red Tapir-Macaw’)
Patron: Til Man K’ihnich (Radiant Tapir ?)
Medium

Fine-grained chalk

Dimensions

a: 13.3 × 17.1 × 14.6 cm (5 1/4 × 6 3/4 × 5 3/4 in.) b: 12.7 × 13.3 × 17.8 cm (5 × 5 1/4 × 7 in.)

Credit Line

Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund

Object Number
2013-78 a-b
Place Made

North America, Belize, Maya area, “Water-scroll” Kingdom

Signatures

Signed (2013-78 b): Chak Til Mo’ (‘Red Tapir-Macaw’)

Reference Numbers
K3331
Culture
Maya
Period
Early Classic
Type
sculpture
Materials
chalk, stone
Subject
zoomorphic, figures (representations), deities

1950s, Robert L. Stolper, London [1]; by 1959, acquired by Jay C. Leff (1925-2000), Uniontown, PA [2]; Judith Nash, New York [3]; 1981, sold to Peter G. Wray (1934-2016), Scottsdale, AZ (no. 7080-W) [4]. Richard Manoogian, Detroit, IL [5]; November 19, 1990, Sotheby’s, New York, lot 91. 1991, US private collection; 2013, sold to the Princeton University Art Museum.

Notes: 
[1] According to correspondence with Scott Leff, dated August 2, 2020, referring to Jay C. Leff’s ledger. 
[2] According to the work’s inclusion in the exhibition Exotic Art from Ancient and Primitive Cultures, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, 1959. 
[3] According to US private collection. 
[4] According to US private collection and Sotheby’s, Pre-Columbian Art (New York: Sotheby’s, 1990), lot 91. 
[5] Ibid.

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The Museum regularly researches its objects and their collecting histories, updating its records to reflect new information. We also strive to catalogue works of art using language that is consistent with how people, subjects, artists, and cultures describe themselves. As this effort is ongoing, the Museum’s records may be incomplete or contain terms that are no longer acceptable. We welcome your feedback, questions, and additional information that you feel may be useful to us. Email us at collectionsinfo@princeton.edu.

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