Description
A firefly is carved on both sides of this Maya vessel, which is from the Yucatán Peninsula. Among the most common of insects to appear in Maya art, the firefly seems to be associated with things that twinkle in the dark—stars and cigars, the latter a symbol that identifies creatures of the night.
Provenance
(Black Tulip Galleries, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1958, sold to James C. and Florence C. Gruener) (?-1958); James C. [1903-1990] and Florence C. [1908-1982] Gruener, Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art (1958-1990); The Cleveland Museum of Art (1990)
Accession Number
1990.173
Medium
earthenware
Dimensions
Overall: 12.1 x 16.3 cm (4 3/4 x 6 7/16 in.)
Classification
Ceramic
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener
