Antiquities and Pre-Columbian Art: Expressions of the Past

Provenance:

Private Collection, Midwest United States, 1961.

Sotheby's, New York, Pre-Columbian Art, 25 November 1996, Lot 172.

Herbert L. Lucas, Los Angeles. [Inv. no. 312]

Acquired by the present owner from the above, 15 February 2004.

Exhibited:

Massachusetts, Wellesley College, Davis Museum and Cultural Center, 14 May 1999-1 November 2004.

Published:

M. Coe and J. Kerr, Art of the Maya Scribe, 1997, p. 81, pl.31.

The Pre-Columbian Portfolio no. K7534.

This late Classic Period clay figurine from Jaina portrays an elderly scribe, or aj k’uhun (“he of the holy books”), embodying the wisdom and esteemed status integral to his role within Maya society. The artist captures an expressive individuality through the scribe’s furrowed brow, tilted head, and lively stance, emphasizing his ceremonial and scholarly dignity. A bundle of quills attached to his balloon-like headdress signifies his profession—a familiar element in Jaina figurines, yet seldom depicted with such lifelike personality and fine detail. The importance of this piece is underscored by its inclusion in the seminal publication on Maya scribes, The Art of the Maya Scribe by Michael Coe (1997).

In Maya civilization, scribes, known by titles such as aj ts’ib (“he who writes or paints”) and the high-ranking aj k’uhun, held diverse and revered roles as intellectual custodians, religious functionaries, and official historians. As aj ts’ib, a scribe was responsible for both writing and painting, bridging literary and artistic traditions. These scribes meticulously inscribed glyphs and illuminated narratives on various surfaces, from codices crafted on bark paper to monumental stelae and ceramics, documenting history, mythology, and the celestial order. The title aj k’uhun, reserved for high-ranking scribes, conferred even greater prestige, signifying those entrusted with sacred texts and the divine knowledge within “holy books.” Such scribes served as guardians of the Maya cosmos and played a vital role in the spiritual and political life of the court, often associated with deities or depicted alongside the elite in tombs and ceremonial contexts.

For a similar depiction of an elaborate courtly headdress, see D. Reents-Budet, Painting the Maya Universe: Royal Ceramics of the Classic Period, Duke University Museum of Art, 1994, p. 38, fig. 2.3.; For more on Maya depictions of dress and official roles, see C. Cheek, "Hats and titles: Maya courtier dress and hierarchy in the late Classic Maya court." Ancient Mesoamerica, 2024, pp. 1-23.