Among the many ancient cultures that produced painted pottery, the Greeks in the Mediterranean, the Maya in Central America, and the Moche of northern Peru stand out for their terracotta vessels enlivened with narrative imagery. Representing heroic adventures, divine encounters, and legendary events, these decorated ceramics provided a dynamic means of storytelling and social engagement.

By juxtaposing Greek, Maya, and Moche traditions, this exhibition invites conversation about the ways in which three unrelated cultures visualized their society, myths, and cosmos through their pottery. Who made and used these vessels? Which stories did they depict, and why? How did artists shape these accounts? Could images convey more than words? Each vessel displayed here is a “picture world,” full of expressive possibility, and as you explore this exhibition, we encourage you to give voice to the painted tales you see.

The Greeks, Maya, and Moche made, used, and valued their painted pottery in diverse ways, yet in all three cultures these vessels were often central to social activities. From feasts to funerals, decorated ceramics served as containers for food or drink; as gifts, heirlooms, or objects of trade; and as ceremonial offerings to deities, ancestors, or the dead.

In many cases, the details of who created the ceramics, or when and where they were handled, are unrecorded. But inscribed names, styles of potting and painting, depictions of vases in use, and documented findspots provide ways for us to encounter the individuals and communities who lived with these vessels.

Moche artists produced painted ceramics in a number of different locations along the north coast of Peru between 200 and 850 CE. Some potters and painters worked alongside other skilled artisans near sacred structures (called huacas) that dominated ceremonial sites. The Moche did not use a writing system, so our understanding of how they made and used their vessels relies on the study of their imagery and archaeological research.

Most Moche ceramics have been found in burials, where they were involved in funerary rituals, but some show traces of wear that suggest earlier use. Stirrup-spout vessels were a popular offering for ancestors, though what they contained remains uncertain. If they held a liquid such as water or chicha (maize beer), the single spout would bring together two streams, manifesting a key concept in Moche culture—two entities combining into one.

Artists throughout the Greek world produced pottery, but the vases of sixth- and fifth-century BCE Athens predominate in this exhibition. Citizens, immigrants, and enslaved individuals working in the Athenian potters’ quarter created and decorated a wide variety of shapes, catering to a broad market.

Storage jars, serving vessels, mixing bowls, and cups all played a part at the Greek symposion, where groups of men gathered to drink wine and enjoy one another’s company. Athenian vases were also made for export, and many were ultimately used in funerary rituals in Etruria and other regions of Italy.

The Maya drinking vessels and plates displayed in this exhibition were made in southeastern Mexico, Guatemala, or Belize. People from all levels of Maya society used pottery, but the finely painted polychrome vases on view here were created by artists of high status for rulers and nobles. During the Late Classic period (550–850 CE), different kingdoms developed distinctive styles of ceramics that are characterized by specific color schemes or manners of rendering core narratives.

Dedicatory inscriptions sometimes reveal what the vases contained (such as cacao or maize), the name of the painter, or the name of the owner, often an elite young man or woman. Receiving a painted vessel would have been an important rite of passage, perhaps marking a feast, an age-related event, or a visit to a neighboring Maya kingdom.

For the Greeks, Maya, and Moche, stories of epic adventures and divine deeds explained and reflected their belief systems, ritual practices, or cycles of seasonal change. These tales were continually retold, shared orally through song or recitation and—among the Greeks and Maya—sometimes written down as well. Painted terracotta vessels provided these narratives with engaging visual forms. They were frequently encountered at social or ceremonial occasions, allowing one person to turn to another, to describe, discuss, or digress.

This section of the exhibition presents some of the stories and figures that were important in each culture: the Trojan War for the Greeks; episodes involving the Maize God and other Maya deities; and adventures of the Moche divinity known today as Wrinkle Face. Where literary texts survive, they can inform our understanding, but these vessels demonstrate the powerful role of images in traditions of storytelling.

The epic tale of the Trojan War was one of the most important myths in Greek culture. It encompassed not only the decade-long battle but also the divine schemes that set it in motion and the mixed fortunes of those in its aftermath. Mortal characters such as Hektor, Helen, and Achilles provided examples of virtuous or dishonorable behavior, while on Mount Olympos, Athena, Aphrodite, and the other gods demonstrated their mighty power and petty jealousies.

Ancient texts such as Homer’s Iliad shape our knowledge of Greek myths, but in antiquity these tales had long circulated orally. Vase painters, whose literacy varied widely, drew primarily from what they had heard rather than what, if anything, they had read.

In addition to royal palace scenes, Maya vessels often depict mythological stories involving manifestations of natural forces, such as Chahk (storms), K’awiil (lightning), the creator deity Itzam Kokaaj, and the Maize God. These beings personify changes of season or other events in the agricultural cycle. They interact in ways that parallel human actions, modeling ideal behavior or creating conflict.

Some vessels show adventures of male youths (named Juun Ajaw and Yax Bahlam) that evoke tales of the Hero Twins, who became the sun and the moon in a K’iche’ Maya epic called the Popol Vuh. Though written down in the sixteenth century CE, the Popol Vuh can help illuminate narratives encountered on the earlier pottery, especially since many ancient Maya books perished in the jungle environment or were burned by colonial authorities.

A divinity known as Wrinkle Face appears regularly in Moche art. The nickname is one of various modern epithets for the god, whose ancient name does not survive. He traverses the earth, sea, and underworld, engaging in a variety of combats, adventures, and ceremonial acts. Depictions of his deeds and those of other supernatural figures conveyed Moche beliefs about the workings of nature and the cosmos.

In contrast to Greek and Maya painted pottery, there are no inscriptions or ancient texts to help us interpret Moche imagery today. Some Wrinkle Face scenes can be identified as part of larger narrative sequences, and archaeological discoveries suggest that certain pictorial themes may have been enacted in rituals.

Although they depicted different subjects in distinct visual styles, Greek, Maya, and Moche vase painters all faced a similar challenge: how to convey complex stories, with their many characters and events, on the curving surfaces of pottery. Artists might select the point of highest action, or combine distinct moments into a single composition. They could repeat a figure in multiple scenes to denote successive episodes, or juxtapose one image with another that was thematically related.

Beyond narrative cues, the vessels’ three-dimensional forms invited further engagement. Rotating a pot could bring a scene to life, animating the figures or leading a viewer to the next stage in the story. Lifting or emptying a vase could reveal special features, and some elements might make a sound when moved. These are objects that were meant to be handled, and though they sit still in their showcases today, they demanded— and rewarded—interaction.