A Maya Polychrome Decorated Monkey Bowl, Classic Maya Period, ca. 500 - 800 CE

This orange ware bowl has been decorated with the stylized figures of two monkeys, one on either side of the bowl. Their bodies are painted in a black geometric form, and their clay heads protrude from the bowl with concentric ring eyes.  Supplemental decoration includes a red-painted rim, a band of alternating red and black rectangles around the neck, red-painted loop handles on each side of the bowl, and vertical red bands on either side of the monkeys.

The Central Highlands of Guatemala and Mexico were home to two species of monkeys that are predominantly featured in Mayan art and mythology.  Howler monkeys were portrayed as serious and responsible figures, often depicted as anthropomorphic scribes and artisans. In contrast, spider monkeys symbolized joy, vitality, and mischief, and were commonly represented as playful mischief-makers.  They were also associated with Xibalba, the Underworld, as companions to the deities who resided there.

Medium: Clay

Dimensions:  Height: 4 inches  (10 cm), Width: 7 1/2 inches (19 cm)

Condition:  Hairline crack along one side, and some chips to the interior of the rim.  Surface wear and some minor polychrome loss, otherwise intact.

Provenance:   Mark Bash collection, Miami, then by descent. Acquired from Foreign Unlimited Gallery, Coconut Grove, Florida, in the 1980s.