Boston Bill Goes Maya

This mask represents the Jaguar God, who first appeared in the Olmec culture as a were-jaguar. Flared nostrils, scrolled eyebrows, and pointed teeth are typical features of this deity. He is also the God of Rain and Lightning who lives in the Underworld. Maya kings and nobles wore jaguar skins and headdresses as a symbol of their elevated status.

This figurine symbolizes transformation and the union of opposites. On one side is a man wearing red pants; on the other, a woman wearing a wraparound dress and a necklace with a large bead. Both faces have prominent noses and sloping foreheads, the Classic elite profile created by clamping the forehead of a newborn between two boards for a number of months.

Two shamans are performing a ritual to ensure the continuity of life. One has dripped blood from his pierced genitals onto paper contained in a bowl. The paper was then burned, the smoke carrying his blood sacrifice to the gods. The other shaman is holding a red undulating form, a symbol of itz, or divine energy, which enters the world through a hole in the sky above an altar (shown above the figure holding the bowl).

Vessel with dancing Snake Man

The two dancing figures are Gods of Death, depicted with a monstrous snake rising up their backs, scrolls of blood around their necks, and a red spiral shape on their abdomens that represents the internal organs. The circular designs between the figures may refer to the ritual of blood sacrifice, performed to appease the gods. The red and black geometric design at the base is similar to weaving patterns that may symbolize life and death.