Research Report

Abstract

Translucent or “sheer” textiles are uncommon representations in ancient Maya art. Where they have been recognized, they almost exclusively are associated with females. A vase in the American Museum of Natural History in New York demonstrates translucent textiles worn by males and is perhaps the first recognized example of males wearing such textiles on ancient Maya painted ceramics. Visual inspection of the vase under magnification and ultraviolet light indicates that the original artist of the vase intended the textiles to be translucent, confirming that their “sheer” representation was intentional. This evidence adds to the limited repertoire of translucent textiles worn by males in the ancient Maya world.