Maya
Honduras or El SalvadorMonkey Polychrome Cylinder Vase with Two Monkey Head Handles, 600 - 900
On view
Clay with polychrome paint
Dimensions7 3/4 × 5 × 8 in. (19.7 × 12.7 × 20.3 cm)
Gift of Robert Drapkin, 2008.314
Ancient American art is intimately tied to the natural world, including animals. Rulers and gods were often represented as half-human/half-animal, including images of jaguars and monkeys, in order to convey their authority over the people. This vessel was probably associated with ritual or religion, possibly containing a concoction thought to cure the sick or bring about a religious experience.
