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Warrior effigy
Maya
Late Classic Period
AD 600–750
Object Place: Campeche, Mexico, Jaina Island area
Medium/Technique
Earthenware: orange and white slip paint, post-fire blue pigment
Dimensions
33.02 x 10.79 x 7.3 cm (13 x 4 1/4 x 2 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase with funds donated by Landon T. Clay
Accession Number1973.14
CollectionsAmericas
ClassificationsFigurines
This warrior wears an elaborate headdress, and the jadeite earflares and bead necklace imply elite status. His facial hair and body paint or tattoos convey power and prestige. The amazingly stable pigment known as Maya Blue adorns the warrior's headdress and shield.
DescriptionJaine-style figurine rendering of a standing male warrior. He holds a rectangular shield decorated on its front and rear with orange and white slip paint and "Maya Blue" post-fire pigment. A double row of plaque-like elements and six bead-like adornments outline three sides of the shield, which imply it was made of a flexible material fand olded in half lengthwise. The man wears a plain loincloth and hip skirt and a wide mesh or rope-like belt from which hang large Oliva shells. He is adorned with a round bead necklace and large earflares, likely representing jadeite jewelry, and an elaborate headdress composed of twisted ropes, painted cloth, and two circular feather panaches. Curvilinear designs decorate his face, representing either scarification or face paint, and he has a small goatee. His right arm is broken at the elbow. Orange slip paint embellishes his legs and left hand, and post-fire "Maya Blue" pigment also colors his arm band and the cloth in his headdess.
ProvenanceBy April 1972, Alphonse Jax (dealer), New York; 1973, sold by Jax to the MFA. (Accession Date: January 10, 1973)