Figurine with Back Rack

300–900

Figurine with Back Rack, 300–900. Mexico, Maya, Jaina style. Molded and modeled pottery with traces of pigment; overall: 23.2 x 10.6 x 7.5 cm (9 1/8 x 4 3/16 x 2 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener 1990.172 Maya figurines—made by hand, with molds, or sometimes a combination of the two techniques—represent a wide range of human, animals, and supernatural beings. This example is a male with an enormous backrack, an article of ceremonial attire worn by dancers and other courtly personnel. Figurines have been found in tombs and offerings but also in household contexts. Figurines from Jaina, an elite Maya burial ground, served as companions for the dead.