Take the exquisite collection of more than 50 Mayan Jaina figurines now on display until September 15th at the Mexican Cultural Institute. "They were all designed to be held in the hand," Miller says. "They're old and dear friends to me and I'm happy to think about them in a new way."
Miller, who has 4 decades of experience working with treasures from the Hispanic regions of the Americans, appeared at the Institute tonight to talk about the new exhibit Jaina: On the Threshold of the Mayan Underworld.
Jaina, located in the present-day Mexican state of Campeche, was an artifically constructed island which served as a Mayan burial grounds from about 600 to 900 A.D. More than 1,000 graves have been excavated at Jaina, which the Mayans designed to be a point of contact between their Earthly world and the underworld.
The figurines found at the burial sites served as both messenger and message for the concept of regenerating life, which was the backbone of the Mayan mythological belief system. Mayans had many burial rituals. For example, buried males always faced north, while females faced south and infants faced west. Human sacrifices, often infants, were also part of the Mayan culture.
Notice the Mayan blue. |
The Mayans had no gold, but the vibrant blue pigment (appropriately called Mayan blue) with which they stained some of their molded clay figurines served to designate richness. Miller said it appears the creation of these figures was a sort of cottage industry in Mayan times.
Many of the figures were used as musical instruments. Items on display included figurine whistles, rattles, and even ocarinas. "Music was an important part of Mayan funeral services," Miller said.
The figures also fall into some stock character categories including old gods, young women, vendors and crafters, athletes, warriors, and submissive captives. One of the more common figurines is a young woman, possibly representing the fickle goddess of moon, being suggestively fondled by a craggy, toothless old man. However, what you are seeing is not a scene debauched lechery, Miller said. Actually, it represents 2 gods together since only Mayan god figures could show signs of age, a tribute to their eternal longevity compared to the temporal nature of mortals.
Tales, Tips, and Tidbits
A Jaina ballplayer |
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