163 - Ceremonial vase with two handles,

Ceremonial vase with two handles, cylindrical in shape, resting on an openwork ring-shaped base. The body of the vase is sculpted in the round with two frontal deities featuring feline features, recognizable by their open mouths and fangs. These figures are integrated into an architectural composition featuring arcades reminiscent of temple facades or staircases, as well as lateral ideograms, among which appears a serpentine motif, possibly linked to the feathered serpent god Kukulcan. The entire decoration is framed, at the top and bottom, by two continuous friezes of serpent scales sculpted with mastery and balance. Each handle is carved in the form of a mythical two-headed feline sharing a single body, forming a composite creature. The heads, facing in opposite directions, establish a symbolic interplay between the celestial and terrestrial realms, reinforcing the object’s cosmic dimension. Travertine, carved and polished, very slightly repaired with a glue joint; minor fillings not exceeding 1 to 2% of the work’s mass. Maya, Ulúa Valley (Honduras), 550–1000 CE. H. 20 × D. 25.4 cm Provenance: acquired from Throckmorton Fine Art, New York, on February 26, 1999 Digital copy of the Orenda laboratory analysis dated January 24, 1999.