Artworks of the Maya civilization served many purposes. Some works glorified the lords who ruled city states, while others reflected religious values and beliefs. The painted cylinder vase on the left portrays a tribute bearer waiting to be received by a lord. The figure holds an offering of a spondylus shell atop a bundle of cotton textiles, which were both luxury goods made available through long-distance trade. The leader who commissioned the vase used such artworks as political tools to gain prestige. The whistle with a female figure and the vessel depicting jaguar god GIII both speak to the importance of the afterlife in Maya social consciousness. The whistle comes from an elite burial site located on Jaina Island off of the coast of Mexico, where thousands of such pieces were buried alongside the dead. Large ceremonial vessels, such as the one on the right, were often placed in caves, which were considered passages to the underworld. Group label for 2006.116, 1968.6, and 1984.237.