Lightning Warrior: Maya Art and Kingship at Quirigua (The Linda Schele Series in Maya and Pre-Columbian Studies) [Hardcover]

Matthew G. Looper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2003 | Series: The Linda Schele Series in Maya and Pre-Columbian Studies

The ancient Maya city of Quirigua occupied a crossroads between Copan in the southeastern Maya highlands and the major centers of the Peten heartland. Though always a relatively small city, Quirigua stands out because of its public monuments, which were some of the greatest achievements of Classic Maya civilization. Impressive not only for their colossal size, high sculptural quality, and eloquent hieroglyphic texts, the sculptures of Quirigua are also one of the few complete, in situ series of Maya monuments anywhere, which makes them a crucial source of information about ancient Maya spirituality and political practice within a specific historical context. Using epigraphic, iconographic, and stylistic analyses, this study explores the integrated political-religious meanings of Quirigua's monumental sculptures during the eighth-century A.D. reign of the city's most famous ruler, K'ak' Tiliw. In particular, Matthew Looper focuses on the role of stelae and other sculpture in representing the persona of the ruler not only as a political authority but also as a manifestation of various supernatural entities with whom he was associated through ritual performance. By tracing this sculptural program from its Early Classic beginnings through the reigns of K'ak' Tiliw and his successors, and also by linking it to practices at Copan, Looper offers important new insights into the politico-religious history of Quirigua and its ties to other Classic Maya centers, the role of kingship in Maya society, and the development of Maya art. (2004)

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a strange and powerful story, based on impeccable scholarship, and compellingly told. It is one of the few academic books on the Maya that I would recommend to everyone. (Nick Saunders New Scientist )

About the Author

Matthew G. Looper is Assistant Professor of Art History at California State University, Chico.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 277 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (December 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292705565
• ISBN-13: 978-0292705562
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,693,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pre-eminent scholarship, February 7, 2010

By 

Larry N. Stout - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lightning Warrior: Maya Art and Kingship at Quirigua (The Linda Schele Series in Maya and Pre-Columbian Studies) (Hardcover)

This is a book for scholars, for the dedicated avocational Mayanist, and for those who have been so fortunate as to visit Quirigua (and/or Copan) and care to look behind the intriguing scenes through the impressively perceptive eyes of a specialist and expert. Not for the casual, book-a-day reader, "Lightning Warrior" is weighty, both literally and figuratively, and it has a hefty price. It is also a fascinating story, explicated in minute detail. The exhaustive thoroughness of Prof. Looper's scholarship will, I think, ensure the lasting value of this outstanding and beautifully produced, large-format volume.