[Aztlan] Blom Plate (forwarded question)

[David Hixson]

Randa just sent me a copy of the Mexicon article where
the Blom plate was highlighted.  Here is the text:

MERIDA: THE "BLOM PLATE" ON EXHIBIT
GRAZ (mex). In 1950, in the article entitled "A
Polychrome Maya Plate from Quintana Roo", Frans Blom
described and illustrated a ceramic artifact from a
private collection in Oaxaca City, which was allegedly
found not far from Chetumal Bay in Quintana Roo,
Mexico (Notes on Middle American Archaeology and
Ethnology, No. 98:81-84).  The plate, measuring 44 cm
in diameter, with a flat base and curved, low sides,
was considered by Blom "one of the most intriguing". 
The exterior of the legless base has a reddish orange
slip, the interior is somewhat redder and is divided
into two sections of equal size.  A complex scene with
two seated blowgun users and a bird creature standing
on the head of a deity is depicted in the upper
setion.  The lower one shows only a border of
hieroglyphs around the rim.  Blom suggested the scene
might represent an episode described in the "popol
vuh" and that the text was perhaps a quotation from
the same tradition.  This unusual and large Late
Classic plate, known every since as the "Blom Plate",
wwas long lost and its whereabouts unknown.  In 1985,
the piece was donated by Roy H. Jones of Oaxaca to the
Museo Regional de Antropologia in Merida, Yucatan,
where it was exhibited as the "piece of the month" in
March, 1986...  This generous donation makes the
valuable piece now accessible for further iconography
and epigraphic studies."

(Mexicon, Vol. 8, page 67)

I have not forwarded the entire page that Randa sent
me for copyright issues.  However, the upper half of
this plate can be viewed at <www.famsi.org> within the
Kerr archives.  Just search for "K" number 3638.

Hope this helps.

-Dave

--- Justin Kerr <mayavase at verizon.net> wrote:

> Dear All,
> I thought I would let everyone know that there is
> now a drawing of the Blom
> Plate copied from Michael Coe's article in Volume 1
> of the Maya Vase books.
> The drawing may be found at number 3638 in the Maya
> Vase Database.
> Justin Kerr
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: aztlan-bounces at lists.famsi.org
> [mailto:aztlan-bounces at lists.famsi.org]
> On Behalf Of David Hixson
> Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 9:09 AM
> To: Aztlan
> Subject: [Aztlan] Blom Plate (forwarded question)
> 
> The following question (copied below) asks for any
> info on a Maya ceramic known as the "Blom Plate"
> (possibly located in the Merida Museum?)
> 
> The message is from Roland Monneveux
> <roland.monneveux at wanadoo.fr>.  Please respond to
> him
> or the list.
> ----------------------------
> I'll try to provide more info but sorry about my
> scolar english.
> I am a simple amateur in maya ceramic painting. I'm
> not professor, not
> archaeologist, simply amateur.
> I collect through internet, images, news, articles
> and
> every things 
> about
> maya ceramic painting only for my pleasure.
> I collect with FAMSI (I have all the vases of
> Mayadatabase), with the
> museums who have an online collection (as MFA
> Boston)
> or with Sotheby's
> auctions through the online catalogue and lot of
> otheir ways.
> I receive info from Aztlan and I can follow the
> differents news.
> So, why Blom plate ? Cause I've a small image about
> it
> and it seems 
> very
> special, different.
> I thing to know it is exposed in Merida museum, but
> nothing online 
> about it.
> If someone has image (>100 Ko) and (or) article
> about
> his iconography , 
> it
> will be a great pleasure for me.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Roland Monneveux <roland.monneveux at wanadoo.fr>
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam
> protection around 
> http://mail.yahoo.com 
> _______________________________________________
> Aztlan mailing list
> Aztlan at lists.famsi.org
> http://www.famsi.org/mailman/listinfo/aztlan
> 
> 
> 


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com