Rare Pre-Columbian Mayan Polychrome Earthenware Tripod Zoomorphic Rattle Bowl. Likely from the classic period, between 550 and 800 AD. The interior rim is decorated with abstract figures and symbols in red and black, and the anthropomorphic effigy feet function as rattles, with openings like a snout showing the clay beads within. The rattle was an integral part of rituals, intended to scare away evil spirits with the noise, and the vessels were used for very special ceremonial occasions, such as serving chocolate drinks or in funerary rituals. Due to their complexity few rattle objects survived the firing process, with even fewer surviving the collapse of the Mayan civilization and the later Spanish invasion, making these pieces truly unique glimpses of a long-lost history. 

Condition: Minor chip on rim and much loss to polychrome in the bowl. 

Size: 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 5 1/4 in. 

Minor chip on rim and much loss to polychrome in the bowl.  

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