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Incense Burner Support
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This stand, made of a large tube with side panels, originally held a bowl used to ritually burn incense. Modeled on the front is a group that includes the Maya sun deity and two flanking, profile figures in lower relief. All are supported by a turtle, a symbol of the earth and the underworld. Thus, the ensemble may be a model of the cosmos.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineIncense Burner Support, 600–900. Mexico, Chiapas, Palenque Region, Maya, Classic period. Pottery with polychrome; overall: 54.7 x 31.3 x 28.8 cm (21 9/16 x 12 5/16 x 11 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener, 1990.174
