Lot 111
Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerica, Maya, Copador type, ca. 600 to 900 CE. A lively procession of birds encircles this elegant Copador polychrome bowl, their animated forms painted in fluid lines that bring motion and narrative to the vessel's warm red surface. Such imagery captures the Maya artist's remarkable ability to transform everyday fauna into vibrant decorative rhythms across ceramic forms. The bowl is hand-formed from fine clay and finished with the distinctive red slip characteristic of Copador ceramics, a type associated with the Late Classic Maya world of western Honduras and the southeastern Maya lowlands. The vessel features a broad open mouth and gently flaring wall that rises from a subtly faceted base. A pronounced ridged shoulder encircles the exterior, creating a visual break between the lower body and the decorated band above. This structural ridge is both decorative and practical, strengthening the form while framing the painted imagery. Size: 8" L x 7.8" W x 3.5" H (20.3 cm x 19.8 cm x 8.9 cm)
The exterior band displays three stylized birds, most likely macaws, rendered in red, cream, and black pigment. Their elongated bodies and curling tails unfold in a rhythmic sequence around the vessel, each bird defined by bold outlines and patterned wing elements. Macaws held strong symbolic associations throughout the Maya world, often connected to the sun, brilliance of color, and elite exchange networks that carried these prized birds across Mesoamerica.
Inside the bowl, four turkeys are painted around the interior wall, each depicted with characteristic rounded bodies and distinctive heads. Turkeys were among the few animals domesticated in ancient Mesoamerica and were an important source of food and feathers. Their appearance within the bowl may allude to feasting, sustenance, or ceremonial offerings, themes closely tied to the social role of serving vessels in Maya life.
Copador ceramics were widely traded and valued for their vivid polychrome decoration and refined execution. Bowls of this type likely served in elite contexts, perhaps used to present food or drink during gatherings that reinforced social and political relationships. The combination of interior and exterior imagery on this example demonstrates the Maya potter's careful attention to both visual storytelling and the tactile qualities of the vessel itself. Together, the energetic macaws on the exterior and the turkeys within create a delightful interplay between decoration and function - a ceramic object that would have animated the table as much as it does the modern display case.
Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Los Angeles, California, USA collection; ex-major gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA, primarily acquired between 1985 and 2005
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#201563
- Condition: A few chips to rim and some nicks, pitting, and abrasions to surface. Otherwise, intact and excellent with impressive preservation of painted detail.
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