plaque

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Object Type
Museum number: Am1938,1021.25
Description: Plaque made of jadeite. Suspension holes drilled towards the top of the plaque indicate that it was worn as a personal ornament and possibly, due to its large size, as a separate pectoral pendant. The design represents a Maya ruler in full ceremonial regalia sitting cross-legged on a throne. His head is shown in profile, while his body faces to the front. He wears an elaborate plumed headdress incorporating part of the head of a monstrous animal. He is richly decorated with personal ornaments, many of which would have been made of jade. These include ear flares, a bar pectoral, wristlets, anklets and an impressive belt with a mask. On his left arm he wears a war shield bearing the image of the Jaguar God of the Underworld. The king inclines slightly to the right towards an attendant. A scroll issues from his mouth indicating either speech or song.
Cultures/periods
Production date: 400 - 800
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot: Teotihuacan
Materials
Technique
Dimensions: Height: 14 centimetres; Width: 14 centimetres
Curator's comments: Blurton, 1997 This exquisite plaque is one of the finest examples of Maya jade carving. Its irregular shape may be due to the craftsman's desire to take full advantage of the available fine quality stone to produce his work.; McEwan 2009 This Maya king is depicted cross-legged atop a raised dais with regal regalia including a plumed headdress, ear spools, bar pectoral and a royal belt. The war shield on his left arm bears the image of the jaguar god of the underworld. His speech scroll suggests the declaration of a formal edict. Below stands an attendant dwarf, part of the royal entourage. This plaque was found at Teotihuacan, apparently taken there from one of the Classic Maya cities.
Bibliographic references: Blurton 1997 / The Enduring Image: Treasures from the British Museum (325); McEwan 1994 / Ancient Mexico in the British Museum (p. 41); McEwan 2009 / Ancient American Art in Detail (p. 115); Joyce 1938 / The Gann Jades (plate L)
Location: On display (G27/dc3)
Exhibition history: Exhibited: 1990 20 Oct-9 Dec, Japan, Tokyo, Setagaya Art Museum, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.192 1991 5 Jan-20 Feb, Japan, Yamaguchi, Prefectural Museum of Art, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.192 1991 9 Mar-7 May, Japan, Osaka, National Museum of Art, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.192 2003 18 Oct-14 Dec, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2004 17 Jan-28 Mar, Kobe City Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2004 10 Apr-13 Jun, Fukuoka Art Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2004 26 Jun-29 Aug, Niigata Bandaijima Art Museum, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2012 Mar-Jul, Abu Dhabi, Manarat al Saadiyat, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2012-2013 30 Nov-7 Apr, Bonn, Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany, Treasures of the World's Cultures 2017-2018 16 Sept-28 Jan, Los Angeles, J.Paul Getty Museum, Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas 2018 26 Feb- 28 May, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas
Subjects
Associated names
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1938
Department: Africa, Oceania and the Americas
Registration number: Am1938,1021.25
Conservation: Treatment: 22 Feb 1994; Treatment: 21/08/2017

Free entry

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