Lost Ancient American Civilizations: Maya Art: Crafts, Paintings, Literature

Author: Zhao Jiandong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Mayan artworks express the life philosophy and aesthetic preferences of the Mayans, showcasing their material and spiritual worlds, leaving behind a precious cultural heritage. Mayan painted art includes both murals and pottery painting. The artistic spirit and brushwork they convey hint at Eastern artistic pursuits, and the overall flatness of the compositions reflects this characteristic. The representation of light and shadow is abandoned, as artists focus more on the expressions of figures, the atmosphere of scenes, and the unfolding of narratives. The Mayan paintings' ability to evoke the mood of grand scenes is evident not only in magnificent murals like those at Bonampak but also in similar masterpieces found in pottery painting. The Mayan script and Chinese block characters bear a resemblance in form. The Mayan script is square with rounded edges, somewhat oblong, and includes phonetic symbols. The Mayan hieroglyphs are complex and obscure, but as research progresses, the mystery of Mayan civilization is gradually being unveiled.