Maya Jade Pendant of a Waterbird

Alphonse Jax, New York, acquired before 1982

Assen and Christine Nicolov, Seattle, acquired from the above on July 31, 1999

The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1994

Thomas Dickey, Vance Muse, and Henry Wiencek, The God-Kings of Mexico, Chicago, 1982, pp. 62-63

Maya jade ornaments embody the complex mythological beliefs through the sophisticated artistry and technical ability of the lapidary artisans. This deeply and fluidly carved ornament is sculpted more like a 3-dimensional object. The primary image of the long-necked waterbird grasping a fish is naturalistically rendered, as the body encompasses the carapace of a turtle with a profile deity head descending below. It is marked by a scrolled pupil, snub nose and serpent-like tongue curling from the corner of his mouth. The back of the head extends to resemble an openwork long jaw with lower incised teeth. The reverse of this pendant is deeply hollowed out, perhaps to make use of the precious jade.

Images of the elegant cormorant bird bringing fish to the surface are symbolic of the omnipotent watery underworld and traversing realms of the world. It is a popular image on Maya polychrome, incised and lidded vessels.

Cf. For two lidded vessels of this iconography, see  Virginia M. Fields and Dorie Reents-Budet, Lords of Creation: The Origin of Sacred Maya Kingship, Los Angeles, 2005, cat. nos. 32 and 33, p. 129.