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.
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A unique and exciting journey into the beautiful, complex, and often strange world of Classic Maya art and thought . . . a major contribution.--Michael D. Coe
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4.6 out of 5 stars
9 reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, well organized... imperfect, but worth getting
Jan 20 2012
By Evil Voodoo Celt
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
"Reading Maya Art" is a journey through 100 common Maya logographic glyphs, showing how ancient Maya artists incorporated them into their work in order to give cues and context and imbue it with meaning. Stone and Zender's book is lavishly illustrated, well-organized, and compelling. Reading it is a fascinating journey through the ancient Mesoamerican artistic imagination; you can step through the glyphs sequentially, or follow trails back and forth from glyph to glyph and concept to concept.
The art history aspect of this book is (as far as I can tell) nearly flawless, but I have to wonder about some of the other mythological and archaeological scholarship. I'm what you might call a well-read (and deeply interested) amateur in this area, but I identified a few areas (like an assertion about the nature of "way" or "wahy" spirits) that needed more support, and some interpretations (the Vase of the Seven Gods) that are at least misleadingly simplified.
Still, a wonderful book and well worth it!
The art history aspect of this book is (as far as I can tell) nearly flawless, but I have to wonder about some of the other mythological and archaeological scholarship. I'm what you might call a well-read (and deeply interested) amateur in this area, but I identified a few areas (like an assertion about the nature of "way" or "wahy" spirits) that needed more support, and some interpretations (the Vase of the Seven Gods) that are at least misleadingly simplified.
Still, a wonderful book and well worth it!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book.
Mar 26 2012
By Oscar
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was a great starting point if you want to learn the basics of Maya glyphs, but if you want to learn the whole language as a hobby you will need something more in-depth. But in general, the history and phonetic rules are very clear.
20 of 27 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Un libro inteligente y original
April 21 2011
By Miguel Rivera Dorado
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
De vez en cuando uno se sorprende con la aparición de un libro inteligente y original sobre los mayas antiguos. Se ha escrito tanto de esta civilización que esas cualidades en una publicación empiezan a ser una rareza por la dificultad de decir algo nuevo de una manera también nueva. Eso es lo que han conseguido Stone y Zender, quienes escriben una obra para un público amplio de estudiosos y estudiantes, bien ilustrada y bien razonada, donde los glifos se acompañan de argumentos y de figuras, y así todo es mucho más claro y evidente.
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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