pre-columbian art

Vase with palace scene

This photo of a Maya vase shows only a portion of a scene that covers the entire vessel. Scholars think that the scene depicts a marriage negotiation between a ruler (the large figure at right) and another man. You can’t see the two women— presumably the ruler’s wife and daughter—who eavesdrop behind a curtain.

But you can see several indications of the importance of chocolate to the Maya. Next to the ruler is a cup with a peaked lid used for drinking chocolate, and below him are two large bags filled with cacao beans (used to make chocolate), which served as currency as well as cuisine.

The graphics around the rim are a hieroglyphic text that tells us the name of the vase’s first owner and the vase’s function as a drinking vessel for chocolate.

Asian Art