View full screen - View 1 of Lot 11. Maya Standing Figure of a Dignitary, Jaina, Late Classic, circa 550 - 950 AD.
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Maya Standing Figure of a Dignitary, Jaina, Late Classic, circa 550 - 950 AD

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Maya Standing Figure of a Dignitary, Jaina, Late Classic, circa 550 - 950 AD

Maya Standing Figure of a Dignitary, Jaina, Late Classic, circa 550 - 950 AD

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Maya Standing Figure of a Dignitary, Jaina, Late Classic, circa 550 - 950 AD


Height: 7 in (17.8 cm)

Excellent condition overall. Fine details to the headband, coiffure, jewellery, and clothing; extensive well-preserved remains of vibrant Maya blue pigment. The figure exhibits some white encrustation from internal salts that have come to the surface. Has a stand.


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.

Mathias Komor, New York (inv. no. L819)
Acquired from the above on March 5, 1962
During the Late Classic Period, the hierarchy of Maya elites encompassed several different titles. This dignified and hieratic figure depicts a Maya sajal, a dignitary who might be born into his position or given his title and power by a particular ruler; Houston and Stuart note that while a sajal may be born into his status, he "acquires its essence, its sajal-ship (sajal-il) only through rituals of enthronement" (Houston and Stuart, Peopling the Classic Maya Court, London, 2001, p. 61).

Standing in a proud posture, with his folded arms held out in front of him, this lord wears the attributes proper to his rank: an elaborate fillet headband, ear flares, necklace, and a long wrapped loincloth which retains a great deal of its beautiful Maya blue pigment. His nose has the high, arched bridge that was the Mayan ideal.