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| Keywords: Zapotec - Figural Urn of a Masked Deity - Walters 2006158 - Three Quarter.jpg This funerary urn presents one of the most important Zapotec deities Cociyo the Lightning/Storm God Such urns were placed in elaborate tombs often in groups Zapotec tombs were regularly re-entered for ancestor veneration when incense may have been burned in the urns As is typical of figural funerary urns of the Zapotecs this piece is made of fine grained gray clay with smoothed and burnished outer surfaces In several respects however this example is unlike most known examples First the figure lacks any indication of clothing or a headdress- features all but ubiquitous on Zapotec urns While the face carries sufficient decorative treatment to identify the deity split tongue mask-like mouth assemblage eyebrow treatment more glyphic-like elements normally appear in the headdress on the chest as pectorals etc Such motifs clarify the identity of represented ancestors or deities It is plausible however that these costume elements were made of organic materials lost to time Second while the crossed leg articulation is the norm the feet are normally indicated with an additional rectangular slab of clay whereas here the feet are indicated by rather cursive incisions alone Two possible explanations for these variations are this example is particularly early and/or the piece may be a regional variant of the type between 500 200 BC Monte Albán I grayware ceramic cm 23 81 accession number 2006 15 8 17249 David Bramhall since 1980s by purchase Austen-Stokes Ancient Americas Foundation John Stokes as agent June 10 2005 by purchase Arte Primitivo New York as agent Walters Art Museum Gift of the Austen-Stokes Ancient Americas Foundation 2007 place of origin Oaxaca Mexico Walters Art Museum license Zapotec pottery in the Walters Art Museum Zapotec ceramic effigy urns Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs category review | ||||
