The Art of the Maize God: Origins, Regenerations, Inspirations | MetSpeaks

Laura Filloy Nadal, Associate Curator for the Arts of the Ancient Americas, The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, The Met
Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Director of Undergraduate Studies in Archaeology, Yale University
Marcello A. Canuto, Director of the Middle American Research Institute (MARI), Professor of Anthropology, Tulane University
Diana Wangeman, chef, historian, founding owner of Sobre Masa Tortilleria and Restaurant, Brooklyn, New York

Join a panel of experts to learn about the lifecycles of Maya gods with a focus on the idea of regeneration, a process that finds a parallel in the staple crop of the Maya, maize (corn). According to Maya mythology, humans are made of maize and the plant features prominently in Maya art, literature, music, and poetry. Hear about the cultivation methods the Maya used to grow this crop, the importance of maize in the Mesoamerican diet, and its enduring ritual, aesthetic, and cultural value.

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art.