Esta exposición constituye uno de los puntos culminantes del año cultural dual entre México y Alemania.
La cultura Maya es una de las más antiguas del mundo. La exposición, que reúne una colección de aproximadamente 300 obras de arte, entre ellas muchos tesoros nacionales, es una muestra de la extraordinaria calidad de las manifestaciones artísticas de los Mayas.
En sus objetos cotidianos, sus edificios suntuosos y obras artísticas, realizados entre los años 500 a.C. y 1500 d.C. en la península de Yucatán en el Golfo de México, representaban su visión de la vida con materiales y técnicas diversos. Describían su relación con los dioses, su vida cotidiana, su escritura, su astronomía, su música y sus danzas.

En las obras domina una figura a menudo idealizada con la que representaban no sólo la imagen humana y el ideal de belleza sino también la localización del ser humano en el cosmos. En la realización de bajorrelieves, esculturas y figuras de piedra o arcilla, su técnica era mucha más adelantada que la de otras culturas de la misma época en el continente.
La religión era parte fundamental de la cultura. Para apaciguar a sus dioses, se sometían a divesos rituales entre los cuales se destacaban el culto al cuerpo como lo demuestran numerosos objetos:
Para alcanzar su ideal de belleza, transformaban su aspecto corporal de numerosas maneras, desde el tocado y el color de la piel hasta el afilado y adorno dental, cicatrices, tatuajes y la deformación del cráneo, que modificaba para toda la vida su apariencia, constituyendo una expresión visual de su identidad cultural y social.

La vestimenta indicaba el status social de una persona. La mayoría de la población se vestía sencillamente: Las mujeres llevaban una túnica llamada huilpil; los hombres, una especie de taparrabo. La vestimenta de los nobles era suntuosa y muy trabajada, con accesorios como cinturones, collares, pectorales y tocados adornados con piedras preciosas y plumas, como se observa en varios artefactos en la exposición.
Las diferencias entre seres humanos y animales eran parte de su visión del mundo, basada en la complementareidad: vida – muerte, humanidad – naturaleza, ser humano – animal. Para ellos, los animales eran seres con fuerzas sobrenaturales que podían hablar y pensar. Los gobernantes justificaban su poder adscribiéndose estas fuerzas fantásticas que les permitían abandonar su cuerpo de noche y moverse en libertad convertidos en seres zoomorfos.
Los mayas adoraban a muchos dioses y santuarios sagrados cuyos orígenes era inexplicables al igual que los fenómenos de la naturaleza y las expresiones materiales y espirituales de todos los seres. Los representantes de estos dioses poseían características humanas con componentes imaginativos. Por superposición de variadas deidades podían producirse manifestaciones contrarias. Podían ser, como la naturaleza misma, simultáneamente masculina y femenina, joven y vieja, animal y humana, creativa y destructiva.
Si bien la escritura de los Mayas ha sido descifrada en gran medida, las dinastías de la clase dominante son ampliamente conocidas y el sistema numérico y el calendario han sido investigados exhaustivamente, sin embargo, el pueblo indio de los Mayas, al que pertenecen en la actualidad aún unas ocho millones de personas, permanece rodeado de misterio.
LA EXPOSICIÓN
Esta es una de las más hermosas exposicones acerca del mundo Maya en el exterior.

Vista de la exposición

Chac Mool, Rostro con barba
Chac Mool
Chichen Itzá, Yucatán
Clásico Terminal / Posclásico Temprano (800-1250 D.C.)
Piedra caliza
INAH. Museo Regional de Antropología. Palacio Cantón, Mérida, Yucatán
Rostro con barba
Comalcalco, Tabasco
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Estuco
INAH. Museo de Sitio de Comalcalco, Tabasco
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

El gobernante divino
K’inich Janahb’ Pakal de niño
y
K’inich Janahb’ Pakal
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Palenque, Chiapas
Estuco
INAH. Museo Nacional de Antropología, México, D.F.
The Divine Ruler
These two depictions of K’inich Janaab’ Pakal, the great ruler of Palenque, were found inside his burial chamber. The larger statue shows finely carved facial features and a pronounced deformation of the head. Due to the stepped haircut on the forehead – with a shaved place in the middle – and the hair that hangs down from the top like corn husks, it is assumed that this is an allusion to Bolon Mayel, the Maize God.
In the case of the other statue, it is believed that it depicts K’inich Janaab’ Pakal as a child and symbolizes his reincarnation as Unen K’awiil – Baby K’awiil – , god of lightning, of thunder, of agriculture and of the sceptre of the royal family.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Vista de la exposición
En el centro:
Persona sentada con hidropesía
Plan de Ayala, Chiapas
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 AD)
Piedra caliza
INAH. Museo Regional de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez

Escultura de adolescente
Cumpich, Campeche
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Piedra caliza
INAH. Museo Nacional de Antropología, México, D.F.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Piedra sepulcral con prisionero
Monumento 154
Toniná, Chiapas
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Piedra arenizca
INAH. Museo de Sitio de Toniná, Ocosingo, Chiapas
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Rostro de viejo
Toniná, Chiapas
Clásico Tardío (600-900 D.C.)
Piedra y estuco
INAH. Museo de Sitio de Toniná, Ocosingo, Chiapas
At the End of Life
The malleability of clay and stucco made it easier to model poses and expressions of the body, producing realistic features to convey emotion, individuality, and personality. This is the face of an old man, portrayed without cranial deformation, with an aquiline nose, wearing an austere headdress, and with the expressive force of wisdom and serenity of a man who has completed his life cycle.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Monumentos de Toniná, Chiapas
Monumento 114 (izquierda)
Monumento 159 (centro)
Monumentos 151 und 152 (derecha)
Todos de Toniná, Chiapas
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Piedra caliza
Monument on the left: Victory over Palenque
The ruler K’inich K’an Joy Chitam from Palenque as a captive with his arms tied. The inscription relates that Chitam was taken prisoner by the rulers from Toniná during the war against Palenque at the date 14 Ak’bal 16 Yax of the Maya calendar, i.e. 26th August, AD 711.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Noble de Pomoy como prisionero
Monumento 159
Toniná, Chiapas
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Piedra arenizca
Testimony to the Victory
This monument tells of a fire ritual that was repeatedly held by Ruler 8 of Toniná at the grave of Ruler 1, who founded the local dynasty, at the Date 3 Manik 0 Muwaan, i.e. the 31st October, AD 799. The figure in the middle shows an aristocrat from Pomoy, Aj Chan Chih, who was captured by Ruler 8 on 2 MuLuk 12 Ch’e’en (13th July, 789). The captive is shown bound neck and arms and with his hands on the lips – a gesture which symbolizes fear.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Jugador de pelota
Jaina, Campeche
Clásico Tardío (600-900 D.C.)
Arcilla
INAH. Museo Nacional de Antropología, México, D.F.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

El gran hombre verdadero
Estela 21
Edzná, Campeche
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Piedra caliza
INAH. Zona Arqueológica de Edzná, Campeche
The upper left part of this stela shows an inscription that records the date as September 17,726. In addition to his elaborate garb, the figure carried a sort of three-pelated battle club in his left hand and in his right, a manikin scepter depicting God K’awiil. These objects bear witness to his high military rank and his political, economic, and religious authority.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Rostro con tocado
Hormiguero, Campeche
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Estuco
INAH, Museo de Arquitectura Maya, Baluarte de la Soledad, Campeche
Accoutrement of the Elite
This finely crafted, expressive sculpture of a face depicts a dignitary wearing a splendid headdress and numerous signs of his position of power, including a double row of beads -probably made of jade flowers, and a large central spiral. On the side of his forehead, above his temples, is the pixom, a piece of cloth that was wraped around the head and tied to the lower part of the headdress.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Pato (Anatinae)
Comalcalco, Tabasco
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Mortero de conchas y arcilla
INAH. Museo de Sitio de Comalcalco, Tabasco
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Tapa con mono
Tapa con mono, con collar de frutas de cacao
Toniná, Chiapas
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Arcilla
INAH. Museo de Sitio de Toniná, Ocosingo,Chiapas
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Plato con murciélagos
Balamkú, Campeche
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Arcilla
INAH. Museo Arqueológico de Campeche, Fuerte de San Miguel, Campeche
The Guardian of the Caves
Caves symbolized the entrance to the Underworld. Therefore, the Mayas dedicated various rituals to them and deposited offerings in cave interiors. For the Mayas the bat was the guardian of the caves, because it dwelled in darkness and was linked to the night, death, fertility and sexuality. Bats were also associated with blood sacrifice, particularly vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) like those pictured on the plate, which can be identified by the blood flowing from their snouts.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Escultura de coatí
Tenam Rosario, Chiapas
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Piedra
INAH. Museo Regional de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas
Symbols of origin
The coati, called chi’ik in Maya or pizote in Spain, plays an important role in the Maya rainforest; by dispersing the seeds of plants, it regenerates life. Perhaps because of this and the fact that it is highly active at dawn, it is associated with the Maya origin myths preserved in the Popol Vuh, or Book of Counsel, where one of the names of the mother creator is Zaqi-Nima Tziis, Great White Coati or Grandmother of Dawn, linked to Venus that precedes the Sun at sunrise.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Elemento arquitectural: Serpiente emplumada
Derecha:
Elemento arquitectural
Chichen Itzá, Yucatán
Clásico Terminal / Posclásico Temprano (900-1250 D.C.)
Piedra
INAH. Museo de sitio de Chichén Itzá, Yucatán
Sculptures of serpents like this one were used as bases for columns that adorned important buildings in Chichen Itzá. They symbolized K’uk’ulkan, the Feathered Serpent, the creator of heaven, who was associated with the wind, the water, the rain. the planet Venus and also the war.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Urna con figura, con máscara de jaguar
Comitán, Chiapas
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Arcilla
INAH. Museo Regional de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Muerte y resurrección
This group formed part of the funerary trappings of an adolescent noble. The pectoral that simulated the head of a tortoise was placed on his chest (see the next page), and around him, two vessels, one with the World Tree and the other with a two-headed serpent. In addition there were eight bone spatulas in the shape of a hand in the gesture of the verb hul (to arrive), a bone needle with his name engraved on it, and other ceramic and jade objects.
The interpretation of this context is that the Mayas hoped that the young man in the tomb would be reborn from the tortoise as the world tree and that he would reach the mythical place of creation.
INAH. Museo Regional de Antropología Palacio Cantón, Mérida, Yucatán
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Pectoral, cabeza de tortuga
Oxkintok, Yucatán
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Conchas y caracoles
INAH. Museo Regional de Antropología Palacio Cantón, Mérida, Yucatán
Detalle del grupo descripto en la página anterior.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Incensario, Quetzalcóatl
Posclásico Tardío, 1250-1527 D.C.
Mayapán, Yucatán
Arcilla
INAH. Museo Nacional de Historia, Castillo de Chapultepec, Mexiko-Stadt
Feathered Serpent
One of the most characteristic expressions of Mayapán ceramics were censers with deity effigies. This work shows Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, an essential character in Mesoamerican iconography. With the arrival of Nahua groups to the Maya area, around AD 1000, the veneration of Quetzalcoatl, known to the Mayas as Kukulcan, was added to their religion. He can be recognized by the pectoral, cut from a snail shell, painted blue and outlined in yellow, hanging around his neck. In each of his hands, raised before him, he holds balls of copal incense.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Hunahpu y Xbalanque
Hunahpu y Xbalanque disparan con sus cerbatanas
Zona Maya
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Arcilla
INAH. Museo Regional de Antropología Palacio Cantón, Mérida, Yucatán
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Dios N: Portador del Universo
Vasija con Dios N
Tulum, Quintana Roo
Posclásico (1000 – 1527 D.C.)
Arcilla
INAH. Museo Maya de Cancún, Quintana Roo
The Bearer of the Universe
This old man emergin from a snail is Pawahtun (also known as God N). He is the patron of the scribes and the painters. This deity was simultaneously one and four deities and each of them carried a corner of the Universe. He resided in the sky, the earth and the underworld, and held both the arch od heaven and the surface of the earth. Simultaneously one and four deities, he holds up the firmament at the four points of the world and in the center as well. His head also serves to represent the number 5 (jo). In additions, it was believed that God N is connected with the five ominous days Wayeb from the sun calendar.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Dios L: Señor del infierno
Columna con Dios L
Zona Maya
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Piedra caliza
Centro INAH Campeche
Lord of the Underworld
The figure worked into the surface of this column depicts God L. He is associated with the night, the Underworld, and the planet Venus when it is not visible, as well as with death, trade, destruction, and the moment of the creation of the cosmos. He is depicted as an old man with divine eyes, wearing a cloak made of jaguar pelt and a hat decorated with the mythological bird called Muan. On this column he is smoking and leaning on a rod-shaped rattle such as those known to have been used in rain petition.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Dioses de la muerte
Ladrillo con representación de Yum Kinil
Comalcalco, Tabasco
Clásico Terminal (900 – 1000 D.C.)
Arcilla
Aj Puch como Incensario
Mayapán, Yucatán
Posclásico Tardío (1250 – 1527 D.C.)
Arcilla
Kisín
Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 n. Chr
Hueso

Insecto del inframundo
Toniná, Chiapas
Clásico Temprano (250 – 600 D.C.)
Piedra caliza
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Piedra con deidad del inframundo
Pomona, Tabasco
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Piedra caliza
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Portadores del cielo
These sculptures, standing with upraised arms, as if they were supporting something, are called Atlantes and were very populär from 900 to 1250 AD in Chichén Itzá. On the lintel they are supporting is an inscription that says that on 10.2.1.9.9 9 Muluk 7 Sak of the Maya calendar (July 26, 878 AD) “the carved lintel sculpture of Lord Jawbone’s house was presented”. He ruled Chichén Itzá and was the father of other well-known local leaders: K’inil Kopoi and K’ahk’upakal, who are also named in the inscription.
Atlantes (centro)
2 Atlantes y dintel (izquierda)
Chichen Itzá, Yucatán
Clásico Terminal/ Posclásico Temprano (900-1250 D.C.)
Piedra caliza
INAH. Museo de sitio de Chichén Itzá, Yucatán

Figura de Chac Mool
Chichén Itzá, Yucatán
Clásico Terminal / Posclásico Temprano (900-1250 D.C.)
Piedra caliza
INAH. Museo Regional de Antropología Palacio Cantón, Mérida, Yucatán

La reina de Uxmal
Elemento arquitectónico
Clásico Tardío (600-900 D.C.)
Uxmal, Yucatán
Piedra caliza
INAH. Museo Nacional de Antropología, México, D.F.
This sculpture was located on the main façade of the Pyramid of the Magician and is known as the Queen of Uxmal. In reality it is the face of a young man. Out of the gaping jaws of a stylized serpent emerges a human head with earflares, a pierced nose, and a headpiece of jade discs. His facial expression is grim, and extremely concentrated. This person of high status, possibly a ruler, has apparently carried out a ritual in which he was symbolically swallowed by a boa and then resurged with the powers of a shaman. The marks on his right cheek also suggest this rite.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Sol nocturno, incensario
Incensario
Clásico Tardío, 600-900 D.C.
Comitán, Chiapas
Arcilla
INAH. Museo Regional de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas
The lower part of the censer depicts the head of an underworld animal, perhaps a bat. Above it, a young ruler emerges from the jaws of a serpent. He wears ear ornaments, a headdress with several curved pikes, a pectoral flanked on the side by jawless serpent heads, and holds a ceremonial scepter in each hand. The upper part of the censer consists of a seated figure who resembles the lower figure, with sandals, a nose ring, and a band around his eyes that curls over the brow. He represents the Jaguar God of the Underworld. This suggests that the sculpture depicts the transformation of the ruler into a god, the Lord of the Underworld.
© Foto: Haupt & Binder

Máscara funeraria con orejeras
Calakmul, Campeche
Clásico Tardío (600 – 900 D.C.)
Jade, obsidiana y conchas
INAH. Museo Arqueológico de Campeche, Fuerte San Miguel, Campeche
Deified Face
During the Classic period, when a ruler died, a jade mask was placed in the tomb as part of the burial offerings that would accompany and protect him on his long journey to the Underworld. It was believed that the mask represented him in life. This mask, which was found in a tomb of Structure VII of Calakmul, shows the deified face of a ruler with ear Ornaments that represent the Mesoamerican model of the cosmos with four sides and a center. The curved white elements leading from the mask’s nose and mouth are a clear allusion to the divine breath, and thus that the mask is alive through this breath.