Funerary urn

Funerary urn, the lower part of which represents the face of the sun god “Kinich Ahau” emerging from the jaws of a feline (jaguar). The god’s face exhibits his characteristic spiral pupils in the centre, wide eyebrows, aquiline nose, plump cheeks, half-opened mouth allowing the teeth to be seen, and two scrolls emerging from the corners of his lips. The lid represents a young man with the characteristics belonging to the underworld solar divinity, sitting on a ceiba trunk, which is the Mayan’s sacred tree. The Kíche´ people were considered to be one of the most powerful groups of the Guatemalan highlands. These types of urns were used to keep the remains of the dead governor or priest. This explains its complex elaboration and the fact that the decoration includes the presence of deities or mythological beings emerging from the open jaws of snakes, jaguars or other monstrous characters.