Maya Sculpture of Copan: The Iconography (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780806148601)

Cop疣, one of the most important Classic Maya sites, is renowned for the artistry of its high-relief stelae and altars and for the wealth of detail on its freestanding and architectural sculpture. In Maya Sculpture of Cop疣: The Iconography, internationally known Mayanist Claude-Fran輟is Baudez provides a masterful survey of these elaborate and intriguing carved images. In Part I Baudez identifies and deciphers the specific motifs on each monument and shows how the elements were combined to produce meaningful iconographic messages. The architectural sculpture expresses the meaning and function of the buildings and complexes, many designed to represent the sky, earth, and underworld and to serve as stages for rituals. Photographs and drawings clarify the intricate forms. Part II relates the iconography to the religion and politics of the city-state. Baudez traces the evolution of the motifs in relation to the history of Cop疣 and the multiple functions of the king-his cosmic role, the continuous reference to his ancestors, and the dynastic cycles. Sacrifice-bloodletting by the king and the sacrifice of captives-is of paramount importance. Growth and rebirth required constant offerings of blood to the earth and to the sun, to ensure its rebirth at dawn after its nocturnal journey through the underworld. The monuments give a coherent picture of Maya cosmology. This major contribution to Mesoamerican studies is required reading for archaeologists, anthropologists, art historians, and readers who want to learn more about this fascinating civilization. Published in cooperation with the Proyecto Arqueologico Cop疣 of the Instituto Hondureno de Antropologia e Historia. Claude-Fran輟is Baudez was Director of Research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris and director of the Proyecto Arquelogico Cop疣. He is the author of Lost Cities of the Maya and coauthor of Capture and Sacrifice at Palenque.

Author: Claude-Francois Baudez
ISBN-10: 0806148608
ISBN-13: 9780806148601
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Language: English
Published: 12/15/1994
Pages: 316
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.61lbs
Size: 11.00h x 8.50w x 0.66d