After a recent inspiring trip to the Mayan room at the British Museum, I have been studying Mayan art and logographs.
A logograph is a "word sign" - something which represents an entire word... and are incorporated into Mayan art both as symbols surrounding the main art of a piece, telling the story behind the picture, and also as part of the art work itself.
For example, if one wanted to show a particular character as a lord, then one would incorporate the logograph for a lord within the character's depiction - (usually in this example it would be done by having the character wear the lord's head-piece).
If one wanted to show a character being reborn as king, one would depict the king in the pose of the baby logograph... which shows that Mayan art and writing is also very metaphorical at times.
Here are my initial "original creations" of Mayan art.
Please click on the image to see it full-size.
1.
The Jade Jester God, conquers Water and Fire with Knowledge, devours the Sun and Moon, ascends the Pyramid Altar with Drummers and Trumpeters, and evolves to dominate all Earth and the Heavens.
2.
The Hero is Born on High with Water, feed by Mother, but soon devoured by Darkness. He overcomes the Demons of Night with Speed, Beauty and Intelligence. His Blood boils with Victory and Ascends to the Sun with the Birds of Wisdom.
3.
The Goddess of Weather pours rain from her Clouds, disrupting the men playing at the ball-court so that they will notice the Beautiful Young Lady who is toiling in the fields.
4.
The Trumpeters herald the High-Priest on the Pyramid Altar with riotous music. The High-Priest reveals the Truth. The People are scared.
