One of the first Maya rulers is depicted in this relief sculpture as divine. He stands between a bird on the top of the monument and the open mouth of an earthly creature beneath his feet. This particular portrayal of the ruler, who wears an avian mask, indicates his role as the spiritual bridge between the heavens and the underworld. Stele 11 is one of some 150 Maya masterpieces, dating primarily from 200 B.C. to 600 A.D., in Treasures of Sacred Maya Kings at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibition stresses the Maya concept of divine kingship. Many of the show's objects have been recently excavated and are on display in the United States for the first time. In addition to artworks from the famous sites of Calakmul in Mexico, Copán in Honduras and Tikal in Guatemala, Maya jade artifacts from tombs in the central Mexican Pyramid of the Moon at Teotihuacán are included in the exhibition.
For further reading:
Miller, Mary, et al. Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya (exh. cat.).
New York: Thames & Hudson, 2004.
"Treasures of Sacred Maya Kings" is on view from June 13 to September 10, 2006 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82 Street, New York, NY 10028-0198 (Telephone: 212-535-7710; Website). The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM and Friday and Saturday from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM. SUGGESTED admission is $15.00 for adults. Paid parking is available in The Museum Garage.
**************************
From your Guide: Stan Parchin, Senior Correspondent for Museums and Special Exhibitions, is a specialist in ancient, late-medieval and Renaissance art and history, and a regular contributor to About Art History. You may read all of his Special Exhibition and Catalogue Reviews here.
For further reading:
Miller, Mary, et al. Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya (exh. cat.).
New York: Thames & Hudson, 2004.
"Treasures of Sacred Maya Kings" is on view from June 13 to September 10, 2006 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82 Street, New York, NY 10028-0198 (Telephone: 212-535-7710; Website). The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM and Friday and Saturday from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM. SUGGESTED admission is $15.00 for adults. Paid parking is available in The Museum Garage.
**************************
From your Guide: Stan Parchin, Senior Correspondent for Museums and Special Exhibitions, is a specialist in ancient, late-medieval and Renaissance art and history, and a regular contributor to About Art History. You may read all of his Special Exhibition and Catalogue Reviews here.