Diesiraea

Gustave Moreau (French,1826–1898)

Allegory of Fable, 1879

(detail)

Cylinder vase

Maya

Late Classic Period, A.D. 680–750

Place of Manufacture: northern Petén lowlands, Guatemala, Pacaya area, El Mirador Basin

Codex-style cylinder vase depicting two underworld supernaturals, a leaf-nosed bat and a skeletal-headed, flint-winged bird. Each holds large plates containing human body parts, including a hand, foot, femur and eyeball. The bird perches on an anthropomorphic stone altar. The hieroglyphic text comprises four glyphs of the Primary Standard Sequence, including the introductory glyph, dedication verb, and the beginning of the “vessel decoration” section.

Nights of Travel that Flew with the Stars (Rilke Portfolio), 1968

Lithograph printed in black, blue and gray with gold

Source details and larger version.