Its Significance

Museum of Copan

The piece of art may be small, a mere eight and a half inches tall, however it carries a monumental significance to historians, archeologists, ancient and modern Mayans alike. I think the reason that the stolen jade piece carries such importance is because it, unlike the majority of Mayan art in existence today, is a whole piece. Many "monuments had been broken apart to ease their export and facilitate their sale" (Schuster 73). Mayan artwork was found commonly and in tremendous abundance on and surrounding temples making the décor susceptible to looters breaking off whatever they can. The Anthropomorphic Jade Figurine also carries the weight of a culture still treasured by many people today. Although the Mayan culture saw drastic and detrimental change from the Spanish Conquest much of the ancient culture prevails. The artwork that has survived the centuries aids the preservation of the once thriving culture. Harvard University ethnologist Evon Z. Vogt explained after observing the regions of modern Mayan society that, "Considering that 500 years have elapsed since the Spanish Conquest, I am impressed with the enduring nature of Classic Maya religious concepts and beliefs" (90). Robert M. Laughlin, an anthropologist at the Smithsonian Institute who has lived among the Tzotzil, explains the convergence of the two faiths observed by Vogt. Laughlin clarifies, "Modern Maya see little conflict in merging the two faiths. It is common on feast days for a procession to begin at the Church of San Lorenzo with a mass for Christ the Sun God and his mother the Moon Goddess, and then proceed…[with] the veneration of ancestors and Maya Gods" (90).

Furthermore, the importance of the jade figure extends to anthropologists, archeologists, and other scholars interested in the Mayan society. Artwork plays an enormous role in the preservation of ancient societies. Art serves the purpose of telling stories, explaining laws, and extending culture to mainstream society. In Mayan society art served all these purposes, allowing us to study the artwork we discover today to piece together answers to the many questions we have about the Mayan's remarkable society. "A remarkable story [of the Maya creation myth is] being pieced together by a cluster of scholars who have patiently decoded a complex legacy of Maya writings and artworks" (Wertime, 80). The significance of the Anthropomorphic Jade Figurine expands out to many people of the past and present. The piece as a whole, as a storyteller, and as a connection to the past makes it of monumental importance.

Robert Laughlin

Works Cited:

Schuster, Angela. Rituals of the Modern Maya. New York: Hatherleigh Press, 2003.

Wertime, Richard, Schuster, Angela. Written in the Stars. New York: Hatherleigh Press, 2003.