Art of the Maya

Art of the Maya Maya: 2000 BC

Maya art is considered by many to be the most

sophisticated and beautiful of the ancient

New World

Maya Art Depicts:• Gods• Great Rulers• Heroes• Religious Themes• Daily Life

The Maya used natural materials to make their

colors• Minerals• Plants• Charcoal• Iron – Rich Clay

Maya Painting

Maya Murals

Maya Paintings on Plaster

Most Maya pottery was decorated with: •Images of humans •Animals •Mythological creatures.

Maya Pottery

God being born from a seed

Clay and pigment Bowl, Jaguar in Motion decorates the outside of the Bowl

Codex style vase

Vessel in the shape of an old man emerging from a snail shell Maya Late Classic (600-900 A.D.) Unknown Burnished and painted clay

Maya Sculpture

• Stone• Wood•Stucco• Jade

Jade Mask Giant Stone HeadWeighs 24 tons

A ballplayer in the act of hitting a ball with his hip and the text recounts the date of dedication of the ball court it was set in.

A small Maya stone sculpture used as an instrument to pound meats, nuts, and seeds

A reconstruction of the main temple at Copan clearly demonstrating how all Maya temples were brightly colored originally

A detail of the Dresden Codex, one of only 6

Maya codices , or painted books, to survive

the Conquest

A page from the Madrid Codex

Mayan Hieroglyphics