Vulture-Headed Whistle Figurine
Unknown Maya artist, Possibly Jaina Island, Campeche region, Mexico. Vulture-Headed Whistle Figurine, 600–900 CE. Slip-painted ceramic, 5 x 2 ¾ x 2 ¼ inches. Denver Art Museum Collection: Gift of Mr. Cedric Marks, 1971.402.
Jaina-Style Vulture-Headed Whistle Figurine
Maya
About A.D. 600-900
Mexico, Campeche region, possibly Jaina Island
Earthenware with colored paint
Gift of Mr. Cedric Marks, 1971.402
This mold-made Jaina-style whistle depicts a vulture-headed figure with a human body. Vultures are commonly seen in ancient Maya art. A vulture head, for instance, is used as a hieroglyph in one of the most commonly used phrases for the accession of kings. Vultures in general, as winged harbingers of death, appear to have been associated with omens, transitions, sacrifice, and both celestial and underworldly themes. On this figurine, the vulture face is enlivened by deep wrinkles, painted in yellow and blue. The long beak is tucked closely against the body, as are the arms and hands. The figure wears a long beaded necklace with a shell pendant and a long skirt marked along the edge with highly detailed embroidery.
Although this could represent a supernatural, it more likely represents a human figure wearing a vulture mask. It is unclear whether the figurine represents a female or a male. The lack of breasts, the bare chest, and loincloth flap that hangs outside of the skirt suggest it is a male. The length of the skirt, the hand position, and the cape that wraps around the figure's shoulders are, however, more commonly associated with depictions of females. The rattle in the figure's proper right hand indicates that this is a musician, captured in the midst of a musical performance of some kind. The blending of male and female iconography may indicate that this figurine represents a male performer dressed as a female vulture.
To create this figurine, the artist pressed clay into a ceramic mold. He then finished it by hand, adding three dimensional depth to arms, hands, and clothing, as well as adding in details such as the embroidered edge of the figure's textile skirt. After firing, the figurine was painted in bright colors. A nearly identical figure is currently housed in the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico, demonstrating the frequency with which multiple Jaina figurines were made from the same mold.
To sound the whistle, one must blow into a hole at the base of the figure's tail. This figurine, then, does not simply represent a static image of a musician but would have been used itself to produce music.
For another vulture-headed figurine in the museum's collection, see 1983.412.
-Lucia R Henderson, 2016
- "Grand Gestures"-- Denver Art Museum, 12/2015-12/2016.
- “Stampede: Animals in Art” — Denver Art Museum, 9/10/2017
