Tripod Plate
1 of 6
Object Label
Painting, particularly on ceramic vessels, was the primary art form among the Maya. This plate is representative of the “turkey vulture” pottery tradition, a regional style that was created for a broad audience and used almost exclusively in burials. The vessel’s interior is decorated with the Muan bird, the messenger of the lords of the underworld. The “kimi” glyph, or death sign, emanates from the bird’s head just above the beak. On the interior rim, two centipedes swim in the underworld’s black waters.
Caption
Maya. Tripod Plate, ca. 593–731. Ceramic, pigment, 4 9/16 x 17 11/16 x 17 11/16 in. (11.6 x 44.9 x 44.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 39.57. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 39.57_view01_PS11.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Tripod Plate
Date
ca. 593–731
Geography
Place found: Campeche, Mexico
Medium
Ceramic, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
4 9/16 x 17 11/16 x 17 11/16 in. (11.6 x 44.9 x 44.9 cm)
Credit Line
Dick S. Ramsay Fund
Accession Number
39.57
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
What is the decoration on this plate.
The plate is in the "turkey vulture" style, and is linked to burials. The animals on the plate reference Xilbalba, the underworld.
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