Maya Feasting

Feasting played a prominent role in Maya society. It was used to entertain guests and was a time when nobles could show off their prestige. Because many more Maya nobles claimed lineage to the King than there were court appointments, competition was fierce among nobles for displaying wealth. One of the ways in which they tried to demonstrate their prestige was through ornate serving vessels. These were distinct from everyday serving vessels and were often painted with scenes showing a royal household or scenes from their mythology. The most elite serving vessels had hieroglyphic inscriptions naming the owner of the vessel and its purpose. However, since the demand for these vessels was higher than the number of literate craftsmen could produce, some vessels were produced with pseudo-glyphs that imitate the real thing in form but have no legitimate meaning. When the Maya were buried, they were often accompanied by their fine pottery.

These vessels were all used in feasts, presumably for serving cacao. Cacao was incredibly important at these feasts because it was difficult to grow and was considered highly valuable. Thus, the ability to serve cacao was a demonstration of wealth. 

Talking about Maya feasting... See Met blog posts here.