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In Maya art, the gods are depicted at all stages of life: as infants, as adults at the peak of their maturity and influence, and as they age. The gods could die, and some were born anew, serving as models of regeneration and resilience. Join Joanne Pillsbury, Andrall E. Pearson Curator of Ancient American Art in The Met's Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, alongside Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Yale University, curators of the exhibition along with Laura Filloy Nadal, Associate Curator of Ancient American Art at The Met, to virtually explore Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art. In this exhibition rarely seen masterpieces and recent discoveries trace the life cycle of the gods, from the moment of their creation in a sacred mountain to their dazzling transformations as blossoming flowers or fearsome creatures of the night.
Maya artists depicted the gods in imaginative ways from the monumental to the miniature—from exquisitely carved, towering sculptures to jade, shell, and obsidian ornaments that adorned kings and queens, connecting them symbolically to supernatural forces. Finely painted ceramics reveal the eventful lives of the gods in rich detail. Created by master artists of the Classic period (A.D. 250–900) in the royal cities of what is now Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, the landmark works in this exhibition evoke a world in which the divine, human, and natural realms are interconnected and alive.
The exhibition is made possible by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the Placido Arango Fund, the Diane W. and James E. Burke Fund, the Gail and Parker Gilbert Fund, the Mellon Foundation, and The International Council of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
It is organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Kimbell Art Museum.
The catalogue is made possible by the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, Inc.
Additional support is provided by the Mellon Foundation and the Doris Duke Fund for Publications.
The catalogue is available for purchase at store.metmuseum.org.
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Marquee: Maya artist. Whistle with the Maize God emerging from a flower (detail), Mexico, Late Classic period (A.D. 600–900). Ceramic, pigment. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979 (1979.206.728)
