171 - Cylindrical vase

Cylindrical vase with ceremonial scenes and hieroglyphic inscriptions. Engobed terracotta with polychrome decoration. Three large cracks that have been repaired, signs of wear, and surface damage. Maya, Petén region, Guatemala, circa 450–520 CE. H: 21.5 cm; D: approximately 17.8 cm Provenance: According to the information provided, formerly in the collection of Hiroshi Miura, Tokyo, Japan; vase photographed in 1981 by Nicholas Hellmuth. Documentation: Three historical photographs attributed to Nicholas Hellmuth, dated 1981 in the file. Study by Donald Hales and email dated March 21, 2018, accompanying the file. This vase is distinguished by the extent of its inscription and the close interplay between writing and figurative representation. According to Donald Hales’s count, its decoration comprises 112 glyphs, arranged in horizontal bands and columns that punctuate two ceremonial scenes. The structures with high roofs, the characters, and the supernatural figures compose a narrative in which the inscriptions identify certain protagonists and events. Despite the gaps and partial erosion of the surfaces, the preserved elements still allow us to trace the organization of the decoration and reconstruct part of the narrative sequence. In his study of this artifact, Donald Hales proposes identifying the ruler formerly known as “Jaguar-Paw Skull,” now identified as Chak Tok Ich’aak II. This king ruled Tikal around 486–508 CE, at the turn of the 5th and 6th centuries, during the Early Classic period. Simon Martin confirms this identification and notes his title, k’uhul mutal ajaw, “divine lord of Tikal.” He also points out that a ceramic dish, cataloged as K8121, commemorates an end-of-period ceremony celebrated by this ruler in 495: a particularly interesting connection for understanding how ceramics could preserve the memory of royal acts. As the son of K’an Chitam, Chak Tok Ich’aak II belongs to a lineage whose inscriptions make it possible to reconstruct some of the alliances. Alexandre Tokovinine and Vilma Fialko have thus proposed that the texts on Stelae 3 and 7 at Tikal confirm his status as the grandson of Tzik’in Bahlam, ruler of Naranjo. This kinship, likely on the maternal side, sheds light on the ties between two important courts in Petén. The same authors point to an effigy incense burner housed at the Berlin Museum of Ethnology, commissioned by Chak Tok Ich’aak II, whose inscription supports this genealogical interpretation. These artifacts demonstrate the importance placed on ancestry and its proclamation across various media. Hales’s interpretation places our vase within this world of royal ceremonies and calendrical references. He distinguishes two scenes centered on structures, one of which features a seated figure holding what he interprets as a smoking instrument, perhaps intended to light a brazier. In the second scene, he notes a brazier and several divine figures, as well as symbols he associates with Venus or other celestial bodies. He proposes linking the first sequence to a ceremony that took place in January 500, during the reign of Chak Tok Ich’aak II. This interpretation remains a working hypothesis, as certain portions of the text are too damaged to allow for complete decipherment. The significance of this manuscript thus lies in the complementary nature of its images and its inscription: the glyphs lend a historical dimension to the pictorial narrative, while the scenes bring to life the gestures, structures, and participants of the ceremony. The finesse of the lines, the alternation of red and black, and the density of the composition attest to the skill of the painter-scribe. The preserved sections retain a visual and documentary richness that allows the vase to be appreciated both as a painted work and as a medium of memory. Bibliographic references: Donald Hales, “Polychrome Vase, Temple Scenes,” undated study accompanying the vase; email dated March 21, 2018. Simon Martin, “Unmasking ‘Double Bird,’ Ruler of Tikal,” The PARI Journal, vol. 2, no. 1, 2001, pp. 7–12. Alexandre Tokovinine and Vilma Fialko, “Stela 45 of Naranjo and the Early Classic Lords of Sa’aal,” The PARI Journal, vol. 7, no. 4, 2007, pp. 1–14, especially pp. 11–12.