Mayan Censer Stand in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, December 2022

Title: Censer stand

Date: 7th–8th century

Geography: Mexico, Chiapas, Palenque

Culture: Maya

Medium: Ceramic

Dimensions: H. 26 × W. 14 9/16 × D. 6 5/16 in., 132.3 lb. (66 × 37 × 16 cm, 60 kg)

Classification: Ceramics-Sculpture

Credit Line: Museo de Sitio de Palenque Alberto Ruz L’Huillier, Mexico, Secretaría de Cultura–Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia

Accession Number: SL.2.2022.16.1a–c


Found in the residence of a member of the nobility at Palenque, this majestic jaguar deity has the distinctive ears and claws of that powerful nocturnal predator. Shown here wearing a warrior headdress, the jaguar god is related to night, fire, and warfare. He is often represented as a star or planet in myths that explained the origin of warfare as a confrontation among the stars.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/820326