COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
Record
AMICA ID:
CMA_.1965.248
AMICA Library Year:
2000
Object Type:
Sculpture
Creator Nationality:
North American; Central American; Mesoamerican; Mayan
Creator Name-CRT:
Mexico, Chiapas, Palenque Region, Maya
Title:
Incense-Burner Support
Title Type:
Primary
View:
Full View
Creation Date:
c. 600-900
Creation Start Date:
600
Creation End Date:
900
Materials and Techniques:
earthenware with pigments
Style or Period:
Mexico, Chiapas, Palenque Region, Maya
Dimensions:
Overall: 92.1cm x 48.3cm x 24.8cm
AMICA Contributor:
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Owner Location:
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
ID Number:
1965.248
Credit Line:
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Context:
Made in the Maya region near Palenque, Chiapas, this decorated pottery cylinder was used in religious ceremonies to support a conical dish of burning incense. Modeled on the cylinder's front is the Sun God on his perilous nocturnal journey through the underworld. A layer of calcite once covered the entire incense burner support, indicating that the piece was placed in a cave. The Maya and other Mesoamerican peoples carried out religious rituals in caves, believing them to be entrances to the underworld.
Related Image Identifier Link:
CMA_.1965.248.tif
