Funerary Urn
Artist/Maker: Zapotec (Oaxaca, Mexico)
Date: ca. 600-800
Medium: pottery
Dimensions:Overall: 6 x 6 1/8 x 4 1/2 in. (15.2 x 15.6 x 11.4 cm)
Classification: Containers
Credit Line: Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Allan A. Kaplan
Object number: 85.0073
DescriptionOaxacan funerary urns were made with a combination of mold-made and hand-made pieces and, in this example, one can see how Zapotec potters experimented with the plasticity of the clay in order to create unique pieces. This miniature urn is a representation of a god with a serpent headdress. Large serpent profiles flank the deity and he wears a mask with a curling upper lip. The exaggerated earspools are typical of Zapotec iconography while the large chest pendant depicts a stylized flower motif.
