Seated Lord with Removable Headdress

600–800

Mesoamerica, Maya, probably Jaina Island, Late Classical period, 7th-9th century

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Medium

ceramic and slip

Measurements

Overall: 21 cm (8 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund 2012.33

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Location

233 Mesoamerican and Intermediate Region

Did You Know?

It is estimated that some 20,000 people were buried on the tiny island of Jaina over a 500-year period.

Description

The major Maya grave offerings on Jaina Island were ceramic figurines that depict deities and humans in a variety of roles. The standing figure represents a warrior who once probably held weapons and wears either quilted cotton armor or the feathered uniform of a military order. The seated figure also represents a male, perhaps another warrior, who wears a huge zoomorphic headdress. A skeletal face with articulated jaw descends from the headdress to fit as a mask over the figure’s face.