Image - Cacao Pod Vessel - K6706 © Justin Kerr FAMSI © 2007:
Mónica Alejandra Pérez Galindo
 

Dieseldorff Collection: Ceramic Corpus of the Terminal Classic Originating from Molds

The Collection

In this study, 1,798 ceramic artifacts from Cabinet 96 of the Dieseldorff collection were evaluated. The pieces had the particularity that they had been made using molds and were analyzed according to their iconographic and/or epigraphic characteristics (Appendix 3).

The process undertaken with these pieces consists in classifying them by theme or iconic traits, after having been washed, consolidated or restored (Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5), photographed, labeled, and lastly, stored. With the collaboration of Mr. Rodolfo Yaquián and Rosa María Godínez, B.A., a total of 8 pieces were restored and were treated for the following conditions: a) previous restorations that contributed to a poor state, b) newspaper stuck with shoemaker’s type glue, c) breaks or fissures and, d) insect invasion.

Click on images to enlarge.

Figure 2. Piece before restoration. Figure 3. Piece after restoration.
Figure 4. Restoration of a sherd. Figure 5. Restoration of a mold.

Presently the sample is housed in 11 drawers, for this reason I present below a very general table of those contents.

Drawer   Type of Objects
96-1 Part of headdresses, shields, cylinders, spheres, very simple figurines, ear spools and general paraphernalia (Figure 6).
96-2 "Tlaloc" type headdresses (Figure 7).
96-3 Parts of flat faces and serpent maxillae (Figure 8).
96-4 Marine motifs and "pop" designs (Figure 9).
96-5 Design in "x" form, possibly the "San Andrés Cross". Representations of corn and cocoa; associated figurines (Figure 10).
96-6 Geometric designs, parts of serpents and whistle mouthpieces (Figure 11).
96-7 Human faces with very well defined features, some with "Ik" tooth (Figure 12).
96-8 Type A Throne with associated characters (Figure 13).
96-9 Thrones: Type B through L. Associated character and Supports with glyphs (Figure 14).
96-10 Miscellaneous, headdress parts and incised sherds (Figure 15).
96-11 Molds (Figure 16, Figure 17, Figure 18, y Figure 19).

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Figure 6. 96-1 Figurine. Figure 7. 96-2 Tlaloc Headdress.

The case of Figure 6 is very peculiar, since 58 pieces associated with these characters could be found, especially the lower extremities. The Tlaloc headdresses, represented as observed in Figure 7, form part of the figurines that are situated seated on "thrones" and are presented in a variety of sizes.

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Figure 8. 96-3 Flat Faces. Figure 9. 96-4 Marine Motifs.
Figure 10. 96-5 Corn God Headdress. Figure 11. 96-6 Volutes.
Figure 12. 96-7 Feminine face. Figure 13. 96-8 "Throne A".

Erwin P. Dieseldorff makes reference to the "thrones" in his publications from the years 1926 and 1928, where he states the following: "…I have found a series of broken idols in the excavation in a pyramid in Chajcar, to the east of San Pedro Carchá, Alta Verapaz. Each idol is seated on a ceramic box in the form of a throne or altar and on the four sides there appear reliefs and hieroglyphs on the feet, the ones on the left side referring to the end of an era and the ones on the right to the new era…" We will deal with the theme of these artifacts below.

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Figure 14. Box 96-9 "Throne L, The Acrobat". Figure 15. 96-10 Serpent Head.
Figure 16. 96-11 Mold. Figure 17. Digital positive of the previous mold.
Figure 18. 96-11 Mold 2. Figure 19. Digital positive of mold 2.

The publicity company "Imagination" used a sophisticated graphic arts technique to reproduce positives from the molds in a digital format, as an alternative to the intrusive process of making reproductions with some sort of resin or plaster. I consider that the most important contribution, after the documentation of the sample, is having been able to combine graphic arts techniques so that with them we can preserve the cultural patrimony of the Guatemalans. The process, in general terms, can be explained in the following manner: the formats of the digital photographs that were taken of each mold were adjusted, and then a light inversion filter was applied to them, which as a result made it so that the parts that received less illumination during the exposure stood out upon making these contrasts with the filters, in this way producing a positive image. Once the image is ready another filter is applied, with which the color that the piece could have had at its final firing is reestablished. In this way we assure that we have a faithful copy of the mold, and we save ourselves the time the drying and smoothing process of the plaster takes.

In the theme of the epigraphy, with the collaboration of Dr. Stephen Houston, the definition of the reading of some of the throne supports was achieved. Below is a table presenting the results.

Support Readings by Dr. Stephen Houston
Design 1 [4-na-?-?] Captive (Figure 20).
Design 2 [tz'i-ba] (Figure 21).
Design 3 [ZAK-wo-jo/ma-10] (Figure 22).
Design 4 I516 Patrón (Lord) of Cobán? o Cobah? (Figure 23), Looks like Xo 3 to me.
Design 5 [yi-ch'a-k'a-/HIX/?-ni] (Figure 24).
Design 6 [tza?/ya-na-bi-IL/ZAC-CHUVEEW] = name, its sculpture, white monkey (Figure 25).
Design 7 10 IMIX, 19 YAXKIN (Figure 26).
Design 8 AHAW-a-k'in-ju-di' = dedication (Figure 27).
Design 9 [i-?] (Figure 28).
Design 10 [8-B'AAH/K'AN-?/TE'?] (Figure 29).
Design 11 2[ma-xi] maax = spider monkey (Figure 30).
Design 12 3[AJAW-wa] ajaw = king (Figure 31).
Design 13 Primary Standard Sequence, dedication "His Sculpture" [yu-?] (Figure 32).

Click on images to enlarge.

Figure 20. Design 1. Figure 21. Design 2.
Figure 22. Design 3. Figure 23. Design 4.
Figure 24. Design 5. Figure 25. Design 6.
Figure 26. Design 7. Figure 27. Design 8.
Figure 28. Design 9. Figure 29. Design 10.
Figure 30. Design 11. Figure 31. Design 12.
Figure 32. Design 13.

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