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35
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- Important censer showing the god Chac on the receptacle an…
See original version (French)
35
-
- Important censer showing the god Chac on the receptacle an…
See original version (French)
Estimate €6,000 - €8,000
Voluntary lot
Description
- Important censer
showing the god Chac on the receptacle and a priest wearing the mask of the god Chac on the lid
Terracotta with remains of polychromy, restoration in several places, bottom of lower part broken and stuck
Maya, Quiché region, Guatemalan highlands, Late Classic or Early Postclassic period, c. 700 - 1100 AD
76 × 43 cm
Provenance: Former European private collections
Auction, Oger-Dumont, Drouot Paris, 19 May 2001, lot n°170, expert Ferdinand Anton
This two-part censer combines the face of the god Chac on the body and the figure of a priest wearing his mask on the lid, establishing a direct link between the divinity and the officiant. Chac, the god of rain and atmospheric phenomena, occupies a central place in the Maya pantheon, closely linked to the fertility of the land and the agricultural cycle.
In ritual practices, priests could don the attributes or mask of the deity in order to embody its presence during ceremonies. The censer was used to burn resins, particularly copal, whose smoke accompanied invocations and helped communicate with the world of the gods.
The ensemble stands out for the breadth of its composition and the richness of its decoration, where the superimposition of figures reflects a structured conception of ritual and the relationship between man and divinity.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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