Censer, Seated King
4th century
Medium
Ceramic
Dimensions
H. 31 1/2 × W. 12 1/4 × D. 9 in. (80 × 31.1 × 22.9 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Containers
Culture
Maya
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Charles and Valerie Diker, 1999
Accession Number
1999.484.1a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking Maya ceramic censer, titledSeated King* and dating to the 4th, stands as a testament to the early Classic period of Maya civilization (ca. 250–900 CE). Crafted by anonymous Maya artist(s), the vessel measures an impressive 31½ inches tall, functioning not just as a container but as a ritual incense burner—likely used in temples or elite ceremonies to waft aromatic copal smoke toward deities. Its form, depicting a regal seated figure adorned in royal attire, evokes the divine authority of Maya kings, who were seen as intermediaries between the human and supernatural worlds. The a...