Lords of Creation: The Origins of Sacred Maya Kingship [Hardcover]

Virginia M. Fields (Author), Dorie Reents-Budet (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2006

Divinely sanctioned kingship is found among the ancient civilizations throughout the world. It has been a largely unexplored process in ancient Mesoamerica. Sacred kings, who played key roles in the emergence of complex urban society, first appeared among the Olmec on the Gulf Coast of Mexico around 900 BC, but the full growth of this phenomenon occurred in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and the western Honduras among the most brilliant of the New World civilizations: the Maya. Published to accompany the exhibition at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art (September 2005), the Dallas Museum of Art (February 2006) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (June 2006), this superb book documents the development of royal authority among the ancient Maya and their descendants, exploring central historical issues and seminal artworks that exemplify Maya divine kingship.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Scala Publishers (July 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857593863
• ISBN-13: 978-1857593860
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,324,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Finest Book on Mayan Royalty and Its Influences on Culture, October 20, 2005

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Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lords of Creation: The Origins of Sacred Maya Kingship (Hardcover)

Few museum exhibitions have garnered as much conversation and genuine interest in history as the current LACMA sensitively curated exploration LORDS OF CREATION: The Origins of Sacred Mayan Kinship. This book is termed a catalogue, but in fact it not only enhances the magnificence of this exhibition and the importance of this aspect of Mesoamerican history, it also provides wholly readable essays by a gifted staff of writers that assures this volume will become a part of every school library.

The concept of kings divinely sanctioned is not unique to the Mayans: such lineage was also found in Egypt, Asia, Europe and Africa. But here the authors (Virginia M. Fields and Dorie Reents-Budet) follow the sacred kings on the Gulf Coast of Mexico from 900 BC through the gradual dispersion of those influences on the flowering of the Mayan civilization in southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala - that extraordinary and rich civilization that is even today not fully appreciated.

The extant religious ceremonies of the Mayan descendents are reviewed and their connection to the ancient rites is discussed through examples of archeological findings of art and mysterious fragments and evidences of a 'kingdom' ruled by those able to directly intercede between man and gods. The result is a lavishly beautiful collection of images and an immensely readable text. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lords of Creation review, March 21, 2006

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G. Wright "alcyone" (Smithville,Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lords of Creation: The Origins of Sacred Maya Kingship (Hardcover)

The Lords of Creation is a marvelous book filled with full color photos of Mayan art objects and sites. It has some objects not seen before in other books. The Metro Art Museum in L. A. has put this book out and is following up with a traveling tour this year. Fist stop is in Dallas (June -Sept) and then goes to New York. I am making plans to go. This is going to be very spectacular, as the book is. I highly recommend this book for all serious Mayan and Mesoamerican buffs whatever your studies or intrest range happens to be.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lords Of Creation, December 20, 2006

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Quin (Indianapolis Indiana) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Lords of Creation: The Origins of Sacred Maya Kingship (Hardcover)

I won't go into a very lengthy description or recommendation. Let me just say that this book contains many quality photos of some of the more spectacular finds from the Mayan culture. If you have a lot of this type subject material lying around, this book has some photos I have not seen anywhere else. The book has excellent paper and binding and should give a long shelf life as a reference piece in your collection. My grand-kids love the large pages.