Minneapolis Institute of Art

Whistle

Maya artist

Date

600–900

Medium

Ceramic, pigment

Culture

Maya

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This elaborate whistle takes the form of a high-ranking Mayan man. The figure's face, arms, and legs are painted red in imitation of the iron oxide paints used to adorn elite community members. His carefully rendered garments illustrate the traditional elements of early Mayan prestige dress: a short layered skirt, long apron ( tilma ), elaborate headdress, and distinctive earrings. The distinctive profile of this figure also reflects physical alterations practiced by elite Maya males of this era to achieve an ideal of physical beauty. Babies' heads were bound to flatten and elongate them, in an effort to align the forehead with the tip of the nose. Hair was plucked to raise the hairline and add to the illusion of elongation. Prostheses were sometimes worn on the bridge of the nose to further assist in creating the desired profile. México, Americas

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