Maya Fire Cloud Vessel

This elegant redware vessel is an exquisite example of Maya ceramics. Finely sculpted with thin walls and a balanced form, In a process known as "fire clouding," the red clay slip coating the vessel has darkened to black from smoke during the firing process. The contrasting fields of red and black evoke the fiery heat of the kiln and provide depth and texture to the smoothed vessel. Thinly etched lines circumvent the vessel, interrupting the organic patterning with subtle linear motion.