Journey Into the Ancestral Americas

Let's explore the foods and cultures of the Americas!

LACMA Mobile Team

What is going on here?

¿Qué crees que está pasando aquí?

 Drinking Vessel Depicting Otherworldly Toad, Jaguar, and Serpent , Mexico, Southern Campeche, Maya, 650–800 CE, Ceramics, Slip-painted ceramic, (Diameter): 5 1/8 in. (13.02 cm) Height: 5 3/8 in. (13.65 cm) Gift of the 2006 Collectors Committee (M.2006.41) Art of the Ancient Americas

A portrait of a jaguar (Panthera Onca) at the Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo by Colin M.L. Burnett on  Wikimedia Commons .

We can read the Maya glyphs on this vessel. The glyphs tell us that is vessel was used for drinking a beverage that contained maize and cacao.

 Codex-style vase with Dynastic Text , Maya, (ca. 650-800 CE), Southern Campeche, Mexico or Northern Peten, Guatemala, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

 Conch Shell Trumpet , Mexico, Nayarit, Nayarit, 200 BCE–500 CE, 4 1/2 x 5 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. (11.43 x 13.34 x 26.04 cm) The Proctor Stafford Collection, purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Balch (M.86.296.50)  Art of the Ancient Americas 

 

Let's look at this object together! What do you see?

¡Vamos a observar este objeto juntos! ¿Qué parte del objeto te llama la atención?

Grinding Stone, “Metate” Unknown, Stone, Overall: 2 1/2 × 8 × 4 1/4 in. (6.35 × 20.32 × 10.8 cm) The Bernard and Edith Lewin Collection of Mexican Art

Animation showing traditional corn grinding. Illustration by   ELEANOR SKRZAT 

 Metate with Bird Head , Costa Rica, Guanacaste-Nicoya, 300–700 CE, 11 × 21 × 8 in. (27.94 × 53.34 × 20.32 cm), Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of the Art Museum Council in honor of the museum's twenty-fifth anniversary, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

What do you wonder?

¿Qué te preguntas?

 Gourd Box with Cover , Peru, Inka, 1430–1560, Gourd painted and decorated with pigment, 7 1/4 x 5 1/2 in. (18.41 x 13.97 cm) Gift of Nasli M. Heeramaneck (M.73.48.69)  Art of the Ancient Americas 

Photo of a dried and emptied-out gourd to be used as a container. Photo by Bellevion on  Wikimedia Commons .

What do you notice about this object?

¿Qué notas acerca de este objeto?

 Covered Double Spout and Bridge Vessel , Peru, South Coast, Paracas, 800–100 BCE, Ceramic, incised and resin painted, 7 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. (19.68 x 24.76 cm) Purchased with funds provided by Camilla Chandler Frost and Lillian Apodaca Weiner (AC1999.59.1)  Art of the Ancient Americas 

 Rattle bowl with flying figure (Oculate Being) , Paracas culture, Peru, 350 BCE - 60 CE, ceramic, post-fire paint, H. 2 1/8 × W. 6 7/8 × D. 6 7/8 in. (5.4 × 17.5 × 17.5 cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of Nathan Cummings, 1976. 1976.287.31

Objects presented in this lesson are from LACMA's collection. Other animations and graphics are cited below.

Art of the Ancestral Americas programs are made possible by a generous grant from the Max H. Gluck Foundation.

 Drinking Vessel Depicting Otherworldly Toad, Jaguar, and Serpent 

Mexico, Southern Campeche, Maya, 650–800 CE, Ceramics, Slip-painted ceramic, (Diameter): 5 1/8 in. (13.02 cm) Height: 5 3/8 in. (13.65 cm) Gift of the 2006 Collectors Committee (M.2006.41) Art of the Ancient Americas

A portrait of a jaguar (Panthera Onca) at the Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Photo by Colin M.L. Burnett on  Wikimedia Commons .

 Codex-style Vase with Dynastic Text 

Maya, (ca. 650-800 CE), Southern Campeche, Mexico or Northern Peten, Guatemala, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

 Conch Shell Trumpet 

Mexico, Nayarit, Nayarit, 200 BCE–500 CE, 4 1/2 x 5 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. (11.43 x 13.34 x 26.04 cm) The Proctor Stafford Collection, purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Balch (M.86.296.50)  Art of the Ancient Americas 

Metate (Grinding Stone)

Unknown Stone Overall: 2 1/2 × 8 × 4 1/4 in. (6.35 × 20.32 × 10.8 cm) The Bernard and Edith Lewin Collection of Mexican Art

Metate Animation

 ELEANOR SKRZAT in The Tortilla Cartel (https://www.tastecooking.com/the-tortilla-cartel/)

 Metate with Bird Head 

Costa Rica, Guanacaste-Nicoya, 300–700 CE, 11 × 21 × 8 in. (27.94 × 53.34 × 20.32 cm), Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of the Art Museum Council in honor of the museum's twenty-fifth anniversary, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

 Gourd Box with Cover 

Peru, Inka, 1430–1560, Gourd painted and decorated with pigment, 7 1/4 x 5 1/2 in. (18.41 x 13.97 cm) Gift of Nasli M. Heeramaneck (M.73.48.69)  Art of the Ancient Americas 

Photo of a dried and emptied-out gourd to be used as a container.

Photo by Bellevion on  Wikimedia Commons .

 Covered Double Spout and Bridge Vessel 

Peru, South Coast, Paracas, 00–100 BCE, Ceramic, incised and resin painted, 7 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. (19.68 x 24.76 cm) Purchased with funds provided by Camilla Chandler Frost and Lillian Apodaca Weiner (AC1999.59.1)  Art of the Ancient Americas 

 Rattle bowl with flying figure (Oculate Being) 

Paracas culture, Peru, 350 BCE - 60 CE, ceramic, post-fire paint, H. 2 1/8 × W. 6 7/8 × D. 6 7/8 in. (5.4 × 17.5 × 17.5 cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of Nathan Cummings, 1976. 1976.287.31

A portrait of a jaguar (Panthera Onca) at the Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo by Colin M.L. Burnett on  Wikimedia Commons .

We can read the Maya glyphs on this vessel. The glyphs tell us that is vessel was used for drinking a beverage that contained maize and cacao.

 Codex-style vase with Dynastic Text , Maya, (ca. 650-800 CE), Southern Campeche, Mexico or Northern Peten, Guatemala, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

 Conch Shell Trumpet , Mexico, Nayarit, Nayarit, 200 BCE–500 CE, 4 1/2 x 5 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. (11.43 x 13.34 x 26.04 cm) The Proctor Stafford Collection, purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Balch (M.86.296.50)  Art of the Ancient Americas 

Animation showing traditional corn grinding. Illustration by   ELEANOR SKRZAT 

 Metate with Bird Head , Costa Rica, Guanacaste-Nicoya, 300–700 CE, 11 × 21 × 8 in. (27.94 × 53.34 × 20.32 cm), Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of the Art Museum Council in honor of the museum's twenty-fifth anniversary, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Photo of a dried and emptied-out gourd to be used as a container. Photo by Bellevion on  Wikimedia Commons .

 Rattle bowl with flying figure (Oculate Being) , Paracas culture, Peru, 350 BCE - 60 CE, ceramic, post-fire paint, H. 2 1/8 × W. 6 7/8 × D. 6 7/8 in. (5.4 × 17.5 × 17.5 cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of Nathan Cummings, 1976. 1976.287.31

Side of  Rattle bowl with flying figure (Oculate Being) 

 Pampas Cat