REVIEW: Códice Maya de México by Andrew D. Turner
An in-depth exploration of the history, authentication, and modern relevance of Códice Maya de México, the oldest surviving book of the Americas.
Ancient Maya scribes recorded prophecies and astronomical observations on the pages of painted books. Although most were lost to decay or destruction, three pre-Hispanic Maya codices were known to have survived, when, in the 1960s, a fourth book that differed from the others appeared in Mexico under mysterious circumstances. After fifty years of debate over its authenticity, recent investigations using cutting-edge scientific and art historical analyses determined that Códice Maya de México (formerly known as Grolier Codex) is in fact the oldest surviving book of the Americas, predating all others by at least two hundred years.
This volume provides a multifaceted introduction to the creation, discovery, interpretation, and scientific authentication of Códice Maya de México. In addition, a full-color facsimile and a page-by-page guide to the iconography make the codex accessible to a wide audience. Additional topics include the uses and importance of sacred books in Mesoamerica, the role of astronomy in ancient Maya societies, and the codex’s continued relevance to contemporary Maya communities.
This volume is published to accompany an exhibition on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center from October 18, 2022, to January 15, 2023.
Review
A few years ago, I watched a documentary called “Breaking the Maya Code” (made in 2008) that discussed how the glyph writing of the Maya language was finally cracked. It also briefly discussed the three Maya codices (now all in Europe) and one that had been discovered in the mid 1960s and which had – at that point – not conclusively been authenticated. When I saw this book I wondered if it was about that last codex, the one supposedly found in a cave and that had left Mexico under fishy circumstances before being returned and that had first been denounced as a fake only for later scholars to argue with that assessment.
Yes, the book is about that codex. The one that some said couldn’t have survived for hundreds of years in a cave. The one that we still don’t know exactly where it was found or by whom. The one that has been studied and subjected to more scientific examinations than any other Mesoamerican codex. The one whose authentication was determined by a vibrant color paint called Maya Blue, all the ingredients of which still hadn’t been totally elucidated in the mid 1960s meaning that forgers couldn’t have known how to mimic it.
Several authorities contributed to the book. We learn about the reason for it – to describe a 104 year cycle of the planet Venus which the ancient Maya astronomers correctly knew was one planet instead of two different ones. We learn about all the scientific experiments done on it. There is a wonderful chapter written by a modern descendent of the Maya whose course of study was determined by his fascination with it and determination to learn to read the language of his ancestors. The final chapter describes in detail the meaning of each of the surviving pages. And since this is being produced by the J. Paul Getty museum for an exhibition of the codex there, it’s filled with wonderful photographs. If I were going to be in Los Angeles during its stay, I’d be lining up to see it but this book is a fair substitute for that experience. B+
~ Jayne
This volume is published to accompany an exhibition on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center from October 18, 2022, to January 15, 2023.
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When I think about everything that has been lost to history, particularly those that were deliberately destroyed such as pre-Columbian writings during the Spanish Conquest and Catholic art during the Protestant Reformation, I want to cry. So it’s good news to know that something has miraculously survived – a post-Thanksgiving cause for gratitude.
I had no idea about this exhibition at the Getty Center; must check it out.
@Susan/DC: So much has been lost/destroyed. But every once in a while, something is found/rescued. Some other Maya codices have been found in tombs but as of right now, they’re so damaged from moisture/insects that scholars can’t even attempt to read them. I remember reading about burned papyrus scrolls that were found during archeological excavations of Pompeii which archeologists knew couldn’t be unrolled without destroying them. Then technology was developed that could – to an extent – read them.
https://www.science.org/content/article/hidden-writing-revealed-ancient-scroll-buried-same-ash-pompeii
Hopefully one day there will be a way to read the damaged Maya codices.
@Janine: I’ve reviewed about 7-8 books published by Getty Publications and have thought it would be wonderful to see the exhibitions the books were based on. But alas, I’m too far away.
@Jayne: It’s a great museum, for sure. Doesn’t hold a candle to some in New York such as MoMA, but I still love it. However one of the best things about it is the architecture of the building. It’s gorgeous and on a beautiful day it feels so nice to be at such an open structure. You get great views of the city from the top, too.
@Jayne: I’d heard about the advances in technology relating to the scrolls from Pompeii. Perhaps someday we can learn more about the Mayan codices.
Years ago my husband and I took a walking tour in York. The guide was an academic researcher whose field was the reformation, and she said she still was brought almost to tears when she thought of all the history and beauty that was lost during the bloody wars of religion in England and elsewhere.
@Janine: One thing the Getty does very well is showcase its collection of furniture. The last time I was there it had beautifully designed rooms to show how the antique furniture looked when part of a household and not simply as objects in a museum. And, off topic, but have you (or any other readers in the LA area) been to the Skirball Cultural Center? It has a wonderful permanent exhibit around the theme of Noah’s Ark, both various depictions of the ark and its animals but also whimsical animals made for the museum from everyday objects. It’s great fun.
https://www.skirball.org/noahs-ark
@Susan/DC: Years ago my husband and I took a walking tour in York. The guide was an academic researcher whose field was the reformation, and she said she still was brought almost to tears when she thought of all the history and beauty that was lost during the bloody wars of religion in England and elsewhere.
The Getty Publications book on Holbein that I reviewed here said that had to pivot from the religious paintings that had kept artists busy to doing portraits because of this.
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/review-holbein-by-anne-t-woollett/
In “The Gilded Page,” Mary Wellesley said that England lost far more manuscripts due to the Reformation than the rest of Europe.
https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/review-the-gilded-page-by-mary-wellesley/
@Jayne: I saw the Holbein exhibit at the Morgan in NY — it was stunning. As sad as I am about art that has been lost, I’m rather happy that he painted portraits rather than religious art.