Reading Maya Art : A Hieroglyphic Guide to Ancient Maya Painting and Sculpture

A compendium of one hundred hieroglyphs that are building locks of ancient Maya painting and sculpture. Using over five hundred line drawings and photographs, it shows how to identify the signs, understand their meaning, and appreciate the novel ways they appear in art.

Presented here for the first time is a compendium of one hundred hieroglyphs that are also building blocks of ancient Maya painting and sculpture. Organized thematically, the symbols touch on many facets of the Maya world, from the natural environment – animals, plants, the heavens – to the metaphysical landscape of gods, myths and rituals. Using over five hundred line drawings and photographs, Andrea Stone and Marc Zender show how to identify these signs, understand their meaning, and appreciate the novel ways they appear in art. In addition to providing a clear and accessible introduction to Maya art, linguistics and writing, the authors also offer many new and exciting interpretations. Lavishly illustrated, fully cross-referenced and indexed, this remarkable and innovative guide will prove an invaluable tool for those wishing to see Maya art, perhaps for the first time, through the eyes of ancient scribes and artists.