MAYA LIDDED POLYCHROME EFFIGY VESSELEARLY CLASSIC, CIRCA AD 250-450 |

Private Collection, Florida
Fine Arts of the Americas, New York, acquired from the above in early-mid 1970s
European Private Collection, acquired from the above on March 14, 1979

Denver Art Museum, Denver, long tern loan, 1998 - 2017

Overall excellent condition of both lid and vessel. Small minor chips to the rim of the vessel towards the back; the feet and tail appear intact.Very strong painting details overall on the vessel with minor wear and scratches. Lid appears intact except for the small missing portion to the back of the head crest. Slight wear to the paint on the proper left side of the beak, face and neck of the bird; painting to the right side is in very good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Early Classic vessels are the most dynamic sculptural form of Maya ceramics for depicting mythological themes. This vessel shows the long-necked cormorant catching a fish in its beak, illustrating this mythical pursuit in both sculptural and polychrome style. The birds head with arched neck and long powerful beak form the lids handle, the fish is both modelled and painted on the lid and continues in painted form on the vessel, its forked tail dripping with tendrils of water. The birds feathered wings fan across each side, and the birds feet and tail form the tripod supports of the vase.

The fishing cormorant references the iconography of the mediators of the three levels of the universe, becoming a supernatural traversing of the celestial sky, watery surface and underworld. For Early Classic blackware ceramics of this important theme, see the Jay C. Leff vessel in Easby, Ancient Art of Latin America from the  Collection of Jay C. Leff, New York, 1966, p. 103, fig. 456; see also Fields and Reents-Budet, Lords of Creation: The Origins of Sacred Maya Kingship, London, 2005, p. 128, fig. 32, fig. 33 for a polychrome example, and p. 209, fig. 103 for a similar vessel.