The Book of Mormon & My Maya Travels & Collection: September 2013

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Above are recent additions to my artifact replica collection: a maquete of a Maya warrior king, a 10" Pakal of Palenque obsidian mask, a bronze Incan mask, my clay 'artistic' version of the Aztec calendar, a stylized verzion of the Maya calendar, Izapa Stela 5, and a 42" long Aztec macana that I am making using obsidian blades crafted by a local master knapper. I will show the macana in its final form when it is finished. Hope you enjoy!

'MAYAB' - THE WORLD OF THE MAYA

Many fascinating sights and ideas await anyone interested in discovering the world of the ancient Maya ('Mayan' technically refers only to the glyphs and language, of which there are about thirty dialects - each with their own designation, e.g. Kiche' Mayan). The richness of the carvings on the temples and stelae, the variety of the glyphs representing words, places and concepts in the Mayan language and religion, and the magnificence of their architecture with the corbel arch and huge stones. Much more is still to be learned as it is estimated that only 5-10% of the ruins have been uncovered from the jungles of Mexico and Central America. This does not even discuss the various other peoples and cultures that have lived in the Americas in ancient times - the Inca, the Aztecs, the Olmec, Zapotec, Toltec and many others, or in North America the forbears of the more recent Amerind tribes which also have a tapestry of history yet to be unwoven from the myths and remains of a once great population.

Here I will add photographs and videos from my various trips to Mexico and Central America in the mid-90's, and I want to share some artifacts that I have collected, mostly replicas of course, since there are antiquities laws protecting the important evidences of these great, albeit at times brutal civilizations of the past in many countries.

Details of the glyphs on the jaguar haunches.

The Right Shoulder seems to show in simple pictograms, a personage with two legs bending over in obeisance an L- shaped altar. Below the altar are two uterine glyphs that have been known to represent females. So, this first part might be interpreted as "The man worships at the altar of the women or goddesses." Below that might be body parts of legs and an arm (?). Above on the Left Shoulder I would change the word "man" now to "sacrificial victim" because it seems to show the man bent over in obeisance, and this time his head being separated from his torso and falling upon that same L-shaped altar. On both the left and right rear haunches are two goggle-eye symbols which have often been connected to the Rain God Chaac, and on the bottom of the right rear haunch you also see the body and severed head of the victim as though buried under all else. I would be happy to have any suggestions as to other interpretations, and then again it could be just design gibberish to impress a turista! This is one of the favorite pieces of my collection because of those glyphs.

The Book of Mormon & My Maya Travels & Collection

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Abalone & semi-precious stone mask

Marble Mask with bird