Benjamin Ward, Class of 2022

Maya Tenon of a Zoomorph with Human Head Emerging from its Jaws from Corozal, Belize

A Study of two Maya Tenons from Corozal

This paper concerns two Maya tenons that reside in the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA). One, with accession number 1870.1.1 shows an anthropomorphic face with a peaked headdress, while the other, 1870.1.2., sports a zoomorphic face with humanoid head emerging from its jaws. These two sculptures were collected by Williams students during a trip to Honduras and Belize in 1870-1871, sponsored by the Williams Lyceum. Beyond this, very little is known about these sculptures due to the same reason that they are in the museum’s possession. While these students were in Central America two of the students went on a short trip to the small agricultural town of Corozal where they acquired these two stone tenons and brought them back to Williams College.

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