A Legacy Artifact

The Mayan Celestial Bearer is not a decorative object. It is a historically anchored fine art artifact, created to endure across generations. Once the edition is filled, no further castings — life-size or tabletop — will ever be produced.

 Private inquiry is required to reserve placement. Early inquiries receive priority consideration as the sculpture advances toward completion.

This is an absolute treasure to own — a convergence of ancient science, sacred culture, and master craftsmanship, preserved in enduring form.

The Celestial Bearer represents the archetypal Maya ruler-priest acting as an intermediary between the ancestral past, the living present, and the celestial order. By raising a sacred celestial sphere toward the heavens while standing upon ancestral stone, the figure embodies Classic Maya beliefs in dynastic continuity, ritual authority, and the cosmic foundations of kingship.

Identity in Maya Culture

The figure represents a Maya ajaw (lord or ruler) acting in his highest sacred capacity:            

as a ritual intermediary between the heavens, the earthly world, and the ancestral realm.

In Classic Maya society, rulers were not merely political leaders. They were believed to be living conduits of cosmic order, responsible for maintaining balance between time, nature, gods, and people.

This figure embodies that role.

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The Celestial Sphere: Meaning and Function

The object held aloft — described as a Celestial Sphere, Vision Stone, or Astronomical Orb — symbolizes the ordered heavens.

In Maya belief, such a luminous, reflective object represents:

• The sky vault
• The sun (k’in) as a source of divine authority
• The cycles of time, calendars, and celestial movement
• Vision and prophecy, through which rulers communicated with ancestors and gods

By raising the sphere toward the sky, the figure performs an act of cosmic affirmation—acknowledging that rulership is granted not by force, but by alignment with celestial law.

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Purpose to the Maya People

1. Guardian of Time            

Maya rulers were keepers of sacred calendars. Through ritual, astronomy, and ceremony, they ensured that:

• Days were properly named
• Cycles were honored
• Cosmic balance was maintained

The Celestial Bearer symbolizes this responsibility.

2. Intermediary Between Worlds

Maya cosmology recognizes three realms:

• The Underworld (ancestors, origins)
• The Earth (the living)
• The Heavens (gods, time, destiny)

The ruler stood at the axis of these realms. This figure, elevated upon ancestral stone and reaching upward, embodies that role.

3. Legitimizer of Authority

By communing with the heavens and ancestors, the ruler:

• Justified his right to rule
• Affirmed dynastic continuity
• Protected the community from disorder and misfortune

The presence of ancestral stone beneath him reinforces that authority flows from those who came before.

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Relationship to the Ancestral Stones         

The carved limestone reliefs beneath the figure represent ancestral witnesses — past rulers,
priest-lords, and dynastic predecessors.

In Maya thought:

• Stone preserved memory
• Ancestors remained active participants in the present
• Rulership was inherited through ritual acknowledgment of lineage

The Celestial Bearer does not dominate these stones; he stands upon their legacy, acknowledging that authority is cumulative and sacred.

Historical Context (Cultural, Not Personal)

This figure reflects Classic Maya ideology during the Late Classic period (circa AD 600–800), when:

• Monumental stone carving flourished
• Rulers emphasized lineage and ritual legitimacy
• Astronomy and calendrics governed political life

He is not meant to depict a single named king, but rather the ideal Maya ruler in his sacred role.

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Cultural Meaning (Plain Language)                     

To the Maya people, this figure would have meant:

“Our ruler stands in harmony with the ancestors and the heavens. Through ritual knowledge and cosmic alignment, he ensures the continuity of time, the fertility of the land, and the stability of the world.”

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Life-Size Version
— Extremely Limited Availability

A life-size edition of The Mayan Celestial Bearer is available in strictly limited quantity. Once these placements are reserved, no additional life-size castings will ever be produced.

Each life-size sculpture is permanently grounded by a base incorporating genuine Mayan astrial stones dating from approximately
200–600 BC. These ancient stones — used by the Maya in celestial observation, ceremonial alignment, and sacred architectural planning — are inseparably integrated into the work, forming a physical and symbolic bridge between antiquity and the present.

No two bases are identical. Each stone assemblage is unique, ensuring that every life-size sculpture stands as a singular artifact within
the edition.

This offering represents a once-only opportunity to acquire a monumental work that unites modern sculpture with authentic material from one of the greatest scientific cultures in human history.

 Life-size availability is extremely limited and subject to final reservation.

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Tabletop Bronze Editions           

In addition to the life-size work, tabletop bronze editions of The Mayan Celestial Bearer will be made available in very limited quantities.

These smaller-scale works retain the full symbolic and sculptural language of the monumental version and are individually cast and finished to the same uncompromising standards. Intended for serious collectors, these editions will be closed permanently once fulfilled.

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Authentication, Provenance & Scholarly Documentation

Each life-size edition incorporating authentic Mayan astrial stones (circa 200–600 BC) will be accompanied by a formal provenance and authentication dossier, prepared to museum and institutional standards.

This documentation package includes:

• Written provenance records detailing historical period attribution, material identification, and documented chain of custody prior to incorporation

• Independent expert evaluation by qualified specialists in Mesoamerican antiquities and lithic materials

• Material analysis and visual examination reports, confirming age-consistent characteristics and cultural attribution

• Artist & Foundry Certification, affirming the permanent integration of authenticated stones into the sculpture’s base

• Edition Registration & Archive Record, permanently maintained within the artist’s and foundry’s master archives

All materials are ethically sourced and legally acquired, with documentation suitable for museum acquisition files, private foundations, estate collections, and long-term legacy holdings.

This level of authentication ensures the work may be confidently exhibited, insured, transferred, and preserved as a collector-grade or institutional-caliber object.