Painted cylindrical vase
Late Classic Alta Verapaz (Cobán region)
The glyph repeated below the rim seems to be muluc day sign or a variant of “jade.” The bat is a frequent motif of pottery painters from Alta Verapaz. The profiles of bat heads on this vase may refer to supernatural Camazotz' of the Popul Vuh or may be the emblem of a social group or ruling family.
HM1184
THE NATURAL WORLD
Maya artists produced renderings of types of animals which were significant to the members of society as food, pets or pests. It is difficult to determine if animals depicted on ceramic vessels are parts of purely naturalistic scenes, are related to stories whose texts have not survived from the Classic period or are supernatural creatures. Some of these animals probably represent counterparts of humans, or wayob. Among the present-day Tzotzil Maya of Chiapas it is believed that every individual has an animal counterpart which must be protected from harm in order to stay alive. A person’s status in society determines the kind of wayob he or she possesses.