Exceptional Artifact & Collectible Auction
Lot 136:
Pre-Columbian Mayan Incised Pottery Cylinder
Pre-Columbian Maya incised pottery cylinder measuring approximately 8 1/8 inches tall and 5 1/3 inches in diameter. This hand formed vessel is crafted from a dense, dark earthenware clay and decorated with deeply carved geometric motifs arranged in vertical panels. The incised designs display the structured, symbolic aesthetic characteristic of Maya ceramic art, where abstracted forms often conveyed cosmological or ritual meaning.
The surface shows age appropriate wear, mineral deposits, and firing variation consistent with ancient manufacture. One side exhibits a stress crack that has been reinforced with glue, a common stabilization method for excavated pottery of this type. Despite this, the vessel remains solid and visually striking, with the carved imagery still clearly defined.
A very nice example of the type, displaying both the artistic restraint and the cultural symbolism associated with Maya cylindrical vessels.
Provenance: From the late Tom Moxley Collection, well known for its strong representation of authentic Pre-Columbian material.
Condition: Authentic
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