Item: Mayan Cylinder


Material: Ceramic


Dimensions: 90mm x 90mm x 120mm  355g


Era: 550 - 830 CE


Culture: Mayan


Region: Southwestern El Salvador


Condition: Good. No cracks or chips. Heavily bespeckled with manganese dioxide accretions. 


Description: A poly-chrome Mayan cylinder decorated with images of Mayan warriors, adorned in ceremonial uniforms, receiving their marching orders from their leader. There is a story board of hieroglyphs incised in the space between the leader and his column of men.  


Provenance: Acquired in Nicaragua by a private collector in 1976


To ensure authenticity the subject piece was examined with a Leica MZ 7.5 stereoscopic microscope.
All or some of the following elements were found and photographed.
One or more photos from the examination is included in the photo gallery
  • Alkaline mineral accretions
  • Fine root hairs in the minute crevasses
  • Obvious signs of antiquity in the glazed surfaces
  • Sharp edges polished by burial erosion caused by millennia of seismic activity
  • Oxidization consistent with the age of the item
  • Lifeless insect larvae in the minute crevasses  
  • Manganese dioxide accretions as illustrated in the video link below 
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFjc0r6v_Ok