https://emuseum.cornell.edu/internal/media/dispatcher/78678/fullPolychrome vessel with three seated human figuresca. 300-900 A.D.[]Earthenware with painted decorationOpen-mouthed cylindrical vessel with rounded base has fine black and red painted decoration on orange ground. Three seated human figures with elaborate headdresses and costumes circle the exterior of this vessel. Figures sit with their arms extended in front with long plumy extensions rising from their backs or shoulders. Vessel is cracked but intact and entire. This deep bowl with tall sides has a rounded base with black and red painted decoration on an orange ground. Three seated human figures with elaborate headdresses and costumes circle the exterior of this vessel. The figures sit with their arms extended in front, holding spears decorated with stone points and feathers. The figures wear black body-paint, and have long plumy extensions (tails?) rising from their backs or shoulders. Although these figures may appear quite other-worldly to us, there is no evidence that they represent deities or gods. ________ What was this used for? The function of pre-Columbian ceramic vessels is not easy to ascertain. On the one hand, the vessels in the Johnson Museum's collection are lovely pieces of art, often with detailed imagery which makes their appearance of interest apart from any mundane functionality. On the other hand, these lovely vessels were still created as vessels rather than as figures, so presumably their functional aspect was important to the maker. Because these pieces of pottery were deposited in graves, the question also arises as to whether or not similar items were used on a daily basis. Were these vessels made for the dead, fancy grave goods with specific religious or mythical imagery, or were they treasured possessions used in life? Maya (AD 250-850) The Maya civilization was one of the premier civilizations in the New World, achieving great masterpieces of art and architecture, a sophisticated calendrical system, and a formal system of writing which has only been deciphered in the past several decades. The decipherment of Maya writing enables us to have a much more detailed view of the political machinations of this series of city-states located in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Belize, and adjacent areas of Guatemala and Honduras than had hitherto been possible. Although the exact details of the Maya collapse in the 800's are still controversial, it appears that excessive warfare and violence, coupled with environmental degradation and the stress of a large population, led to demise of this once-vibrant culture. Populations crashed, with survivors of the urban centers dispersing to more rural areas. Suggestions for further reading about the Maya: Henderson, John S. (1997): The World of the Ancient Maya. Cornell University Press: Ithaca. Schele, Linda and David A. Freidel (1990): A Forest of Kings: the Untold Story of the Ancient Maya. William Morrow:New York Sharer, Robert J. with Loa P. Traxler (2006): The Ancient Maya, sixth edition. Stanford University: Stanford. com.gallerysystems.emuseum.core.entities.Classification@61https://emuseum.cornell.edu/objects/38351/rdf