Tripod rattle bowl
Place of originGuatemala(?)
Tripod rattle bowl
Dateca. 1200-1521, Late Post Classic
Mediumterracotta
Dimensionsobject: 3 1/2 × 7 7/8 × 8 3/4 in. (8.9 × 20 × 22.2 cm)
ClassificationSCULPTURE
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Mary and Leigh Block
Object number1987.58.5
Subject(s)
- animal
- bird
Collection
- Pre-Columbian
- Ancient Americas
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextThe decoration on this bowl bears a striking resemblance to the iconography in codices created in Mesoamerica at around the time of the European invasion. Using a complex visual language, these important texts give details about ancient Mesoamerican life and religion and help us decipher images on other objects such as this bowl. Around the rim are a series of repeated motifs: pheasant heads with blood dripping from their beaks and tools made of bone. These probably refer to animal sacrifices which were part of religious rituals. The stepped shape on the inner part of the rim has many different interpretations. Some argue it has symbolic links to sacred mountains or water, while others cite a possible connection to the style of monumental stepped architecture popular in the region. The small, free-floating circles in the central field are symbolic of stars, while the adjacent large shape remains a mystery. The bowl stands on three hollow legs shaped like jaguar heads and each has a pellet inside that makes the bowl rattle. This likely informed how it could be used during a ritual: either deliberately shaken to create noise or held still to avoid it.
1200-1521 CE
