Late Classic Maya
Mexico or Guatemala
Vessel Depicting a Sacrificial Ceremony for a Royal Accession
INV-3157
Late Classic Maya
Mexico or Guatemala750–800, probably 753
Vessel Depicting a Sacrificial Ceremony for a Royal Accession
Late Classic Maya Mexico or Guatemala →mayalate classicclassicmesoamericanvessel for serving drinksearthenware
Date
750–800, probably 753
Medium
Ceramic and pigment
Dimensions
H.: 19.7 cm (7 3/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Ada Turnbull Hertle Fund
This vessel, used to consume a chocolate drink, depicts a key event in a royal Maya accession ceremony, which shows the relationship between human sacrifice and the assumption of power. The expectant king is flanked by servants, musicians, and masked nobles, while a terrified captive—bound to a scaffold—awaits his death. It is probable that the victim was a warrior from a rival community defeated by the prospective king during a coronation war. Such sacrifices were required as proof of a new ruler’s military abilities, provided an offering to his patron gods, and served as a sign of the triumphant reign to follow.
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