Exploring the Early Americas

The Jay I. Kislak Collection

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Vase with Lords in the Mouths of Serpents

Vase with Lords in the Mouths of Serpents (033.07.00)

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One Maya depiction of the Underworld is of a great serpent with an open mouth. On this vessel, the serpent’s head rests on a skull, and a lord, wearing a flower headdress, sits in the serpent’s open jaws. This indicates that the lord is dead and has arrived in the Underworld.
One Maya depiction of the Underworld is of a great serpent with an open mouth. On this vessel, the serpent’s head rests on a skull, and a lord, wearing a flower headdress, sits in the serpent’s open jaws. This indicates that the lord is dead and has arrived in the Underworld.