by Shanti Menon
Maya Edited by Peter Schmidt, Mercedes de la Garza, and Enrique Nalda. Rizzoli International Publications, 1998, $85.
More than a thousand years ago, Mayan artisans from the island of Jaina, off the western coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, sculpted strikingly lifelike clay figurines. They modeled people from all walks of life, from lords in regal dress to weavers at work, taking care to show the details that distinguish individuals. Some statuettes, for instance, sport scars, filed teeth, or cranial deformations--Jaina mothers tied boards around their babies' heads, making the skulls grow flat or elongated. These sculptures, along with other art--painted pots, illustrated texts, ruined cities, and rituals practiced by modern Mayan people--have helped scholars understand this ancient civilization of astronomers, temple builders, and poets. Maya, a glossy, hefty volume, presents a comprehensive view of the Mayan past and present. Eerie jade masks, vessels shaped like animals, and ...
