Pre-Columbian, Jaina / Campeche Mexico, Maya, Late Classic Period, ca. 600 to 850 CE. This is a molded pottery figural rattle depicting a standing priest with both hands raised to his shoulders. He wears a double strand beaded necklace, a layered costume with geometric decoration, a headdress, and large earrings. The rattle is fully functional, with twin holes in the back and on the body in order to let the sound out and prevent cracking during the kilning process. These figures, from an island off the Yucatan peninsula, are noted for their lifelike faces and their immense detail. The clothing that this figure wears almost certainly copies the real clothing of a person in the Late Classic Maya period. These figures probably represent actual people and seem likely to have been produced in Campeche and brought to Jaina Island to be buried with the dead. Size: 3.15" W x 7.1" H (8 cm x 18 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Kentucky collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#118216

Areas of repaint and repair; one on front mid-body and some to top and upper edges of headdress and possibly to nose. The base is covered in solid, clear glue that someone in the past must have put on it to attach it to a stand.