Maya kings replicated these divine actions at celebrations marking the ends of calendrical periods, each calculated at regular intervals from 3114 B.C., in emulation of the primordial acts of the gods. On this date, inscriptions say that deities "were set in order"-placed in a row-and the gods put stones in mythical locations. Inscriptions on stone sculptures and ceramics highlight specific foundational events that occurred around AugB.C., a mythical date well before the advent of cities and writing in this part of the world. Detailed colonial-period accounts from Guatemala and Yucatán likewise place the actions of the gods in deep history, and describe ancient epochs destroyed by cataclysmic events. Hieroglyphic texts tell of the killing of primeval creatures, which set in motion floods and other disasters that signaled the ends of eras. Gods were born and enthroned as kings of divine realms, but they were beset by struggles. Inscriptions date the lives of the gods to very ancient times, sometimes hundreds of thousands of years in the past. To the Maya, creation was an extended process shaped by waves of chaos and new beginnings. Understanding of these objects’ profound religious meanings has advanced significantly in recent decades, thanks to leaps in the decipherment of Maya writing, nuanced interpretations of mythical sagas recorded shortly after the Spanish invasion in the sixteenth century, and collaborative research with contemporary Maya peoples. Inspired by the gods’ mythical actions, artists inventively explored the origins of the sun, the moon, maize, and royal dynasties in monumental sculpture as well as in delicate ornaments and ceramics. This exhibition brings together objects that honor the extraordinary talent of Classic-period Maya artists, some of whom signed their work. Rulers commemorated their close connections to divinity in elaborate works of art. In Maya writing, these monarchs were referred to as “godlike” or “sacred” (k’uhul), from the hieroglyphic sign k’uh, for deities, sacred substances, and objects. Caring for the gods was a primary duty of kings and queens, who modeled their deportment on the deities. Images of the gods’ mythical lives and primeval struggles-struggles that resulted in the formation of the world and its inhabitants-endure in the art of the Classic period (A.D. The ancient Maya revered a multitude of gods and goddesses who ruled over aspects of the world, from the cycles of day and night to the ownership of the earth’s resources, including rain and agricultural bounty.
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