Maya culture
GuatemalaMonkey Vessel, 1800 BCE – 250 CE
On view
Earthenware
Dimensions5 1/4 × 5 3/4 × 12 in. (13.3 × 14.6 × 30.5 cm)
Gift of Robert Drapkin, 2006.106
In classic Maya art, monkeys pose like people. Here, their arms leisurely rest behind their heads as they lay on their back. According to Maya creation stories, monkeys were descendants of a race of wooden people produced by the creator gods. Therefore, these creatures are understood as mankind’s ancestors and are often represented with human characteristics.
