The Classic Maya (250-850 CE) are renowned for spectacular architecture, complex astronomical achievements, and a writing system celebrated for its pictorial intricacies. Equally remarkable is their artistry in earthenware, with all manner of vessel forms frequently adorned with elaborate imagery. This talk explores the myriad roles played by these ceramic creations throughout ancient Mesoamerica, focusing on artistic style and its implications for exploring the social, economic, and political dynamics of authority.

THE SPEAKER

Dr. Dorie Reents-Budet, Curator, Art of the Ancient Americas, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Dr. Reents-Budet is curator of the arts of the ancient Americas, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and art historian for The Maya Ceramics Project, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.  She has held faculty positions at The Johns Hopkins University, University of California at Santa Barbara, and Duke University.