Minneapolis Institute of Art

Vase

Maya artist

Date

c. 450–700 CE

Medium

Clay, pigments

Culture

Maya

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Playful and mischevious black howler monkeys encircle this vase, with juveniles taunting their mothers who hold cacao (chocolate) pods. Rodents, birds, and monkeys in the Maya area of Mesoamerica play a critical role in the propagation of cacao, breaking open the pods to suck out the sweet gooey pulp and then casting away the bitter seeds. The circle with three dots motif in the background may represent cacao seeds. For human consumption, cacao seeds are fermented, dried, roasted, and ground, much like coffee beans, into unsweetened chocolate. The ancient Maya combined chocolate, water, and chiles in tall, cylindrical vases like this one, then pouring the contents into smaller vessels like the chocolate pot also in this case to create a frothy beverage. Guatemala, Mexico, Americas

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