Incense Burner Lid
Dateca. 600-900
Mediumpottery and paint
DimensionsOverall: 9 5/8 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/8 in. (24.4 x 12.1 x 11.1 cm)
ClassificationsContainers
Credit LineGift of The Institute of Maya Studies
Object number80.0026
DescriptionThere were many different types of incense burners in Classic Maya society, perhaps as a result of the large selection of resin incense available in the Maya tropics. This interesting piece is the lid to a large vessel that would have allowed billowing clouds of smoke to swirl up and around the image of a woman holding an infant deer. Maya women allowed deer to graze upon their gardens and may have even planted small plots of corn just for these semi-domesticated animals. Deer were economically important and provided one of the few sources of animal protein in the Classic Maya diet.
