Vase with Lords in the Mouths of Serpents

Exploring the Early Americas The Jay I. Kislak Collection

Pre-Contact America | Explorations and Encounters | Aftermath of the Encounter

Urban Landscapes | Ritual, Ceremonies, and Celebrations | Language and Context | Recording History | The Heavens and Time

Vase with Lords in the Mouths of Serpents (33.7)

Guatemalan Lowlands. Maya, AD 600–900.
Polychrome ceramic.
Jay I. Kislak Collection, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (33.7)
Photo ©Justin Kerr, Kerr Associates

Enlarge
Add to my collection
Send a postcard

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.