Vessel · Late Classic
Maya polychrome cylinder vase
600–900 CE, Maya
The Maya polychrome cylinder vase is the painted drinking vessel of the Late Classic lowlands, about 600 to 900 CE, decorated with court scenes, deities and glyph bands in red, black and orange on a cream slip. Vases were gifts among elites and were placed in tombs. Looting of these vases drove much of the antiquities legislation of the region.
| Object | Vessel |
|---|---|
| Dates | 600–900 CE |
| Period | Late Classic |
| Cultures | Maya |
| Regions | Mesoamerica |
Diagnostic traits
Straight-sided drinking vessel painted with court scenes and glyph bands in red, black and orange on cream.
Identification
Vases are straight-sided cylinders with painted scenes and a Primary Standard Sequence glyph band below the rim, unlike Teotihuacan tripods, which are stuccoed, and Postclassic wares, which are mould-made. Codex-style vases from the Mirador basin are black on cream. Slip paint is applied before firing.
Reproductions and fakes
Vases are extensively repainted, with scenes and glyphs added to genuine plain vessels; solvent tests and ultraviolet reveal it, and readable but nonsensical glyphs are a warning. Outright fakes exist and thermoluminescence is standard.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Maya polychrome cylinder vase" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/maya-polychrome-cylinder-vase. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-maya-polychrome-cylinder-vase,
title = {Maya polychrome cylinder vase},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/maya-polychrome-cylinder-vase}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.