Polychrome Vessel

Heritage description

About the object

Modeled figure of a dwarf with rodent-like ears and a face painted black. In his left hand, he holds a flattened cone-shaped element, decorated with red spots on a white background. At its end, elements resembling feathers protrude and are painted over the left side of the dwarf’s abdomen. Beneath the chin is a kind of medallion. It is circular, with a curved band in its interior and scroll-like motifs around its exterior. On the back of the vessel are glyphic cartouches arranged within a space divided into six horizontal and diagonal rows, ascending from left to right. The glyphic cartouches are displayed horizontally and separated by red lines. Some isolated fragments can be read, although without a coherent sequence: kaka[w] chan (“cacao sky”), mam (“grandfather”), k’uhul ˀajaw (“holy lord”); after this, the text becomes unintelligible.