Plate with a Seated Nobleman

This plate from Northern Petén, Guatemala dates to the Maya Late Classic Period, which lasted from 250 CE to 900 CE. The glyphs on this platter represent several deities and figures in Maya cosmology that are related to the Underworld. The sitter’s black body paint is also characteristic of deities associated with the Underworld. The jaguar stool featured on the plate likely indicates the sitter’s noble status, as jaguars represent nobility and rulership in Maya visual culture.