A Large and Remarkable Maya Tripod Plate...

Description

A Large and Remarkable Maya Tripod Plate
Late Classic, c. 500-800 AD

Polychrome ceramic. The interior is dominated by a tripartite design composed of three curving bands radiating from the center, painted in rust red and edged in black, with rows of red dots further animating the surface. Floating across these bands are blue-gray emblematic forms, while the reserves contain enigmatic knotted or tied motifs with graduated black lines radiating from their sides. The composition is at once highly controlled and visually alive, balancing rotational movement with sharply placed ornamental accents. Rather than centering a single figure, the painter has created an abstract ceremonial field of unusual complexity and force.

The broad scale of the plate allows the design to unfold with particular authority, and the subtle interplay of dotted pattern, curving bands, and suspended motifs gives the surface a richly atmospheric quality. A striking and unusually sophisticated example of Maya polychrome painting, notable for the boldness of its abstract design and the mystery of its imagery.

In good condition; with areas of smeared color, perhaps original to the piece, numerous small spots of pitting, lifted pigment and erosion, and two large rim chips simply glued back in place, the breaks visible.

Provenance:
Collection of Walker Murray Randle, Granbury, TX

Diameter: 15 ¾ inches

Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000.

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