A CLOSER LOOK AND INTERPRETATION OF THE MAYAN INCENSARIOS

MAYA ART

TERM PAPER ASSIGNMENT

Professor John Pohl

Students must write a 3-5 page paper (exclusive of notes, bibliography and illustrations) on one of the four gallery objects listed below that are on display at LACMA. Check the museums’ web-site for hours and directions. The museum has some free admission times.

Papers should clearly and fully identify in the paper title the object selected including its accession number. The text should be your response to the following hypothetical situation:

You have been asked by the museum to write a report evaluating and updating the museum label for the piece you have selected. You should thus defend the cultural geographic and temporal attributions of your piece, and where possible render them even more specific. Since none of these pieces was scientifically excavated, the museum has had to make an educated guess about their provenience. You are to defend that guess on the basis of the object’s style, subject matter, and probable use, and the way in which these compare to those of other cultures, sites, and periods.

In order to address these issues, you should give a formal description of the object you have selected including the size, shape, techniques of manufacture, and imagery. You may also include a photograph or drawing of the object. The description should then be related to other objects from the same art tradition and to any relevant cultural concepts and practices that appear to be represented.

You should direct the reader to illustrations of other works used for purposes of comparison. Include copies or drawings of these objects as numbered illustrations, cited in the proper order they are used in the text. These should be attached to the end of the paper after the bibliography and they must include captions. In addition to your texts, selected books and articles relevant to each of the three pieces are in the Art Library but you may wish to do further research with materials in the Art Library and YRL. All sources utilized must be properly cited in a bibliography.

Papers must be printed, double-spaced, on 8 x 11” white typing paper, with at least a 1” margin on all sides including bibliography and captions. Be sure that your name and the course number are on the front below the title of the piece. Be sure to proof-read your paper carefully before you turn it in. Part of your grade will be based on neatness, organization, grammar, spelling, and overall ability to communicate your thoughts. Use a dictionary and a thesaurus.

http://www.lacma.org/art/collection/art-ancient-americas

You may also write on other Maya objects in the LACMA collections but check with me as well. Look at the on-line resoruces and determine if they are on view before you go.

https://collections.lacma.org/search/site/maya

A good basic source on Maya polychrome ceramics is:

https://www.amazon.com/Painting-Maya-Universe-Ceramics-University/dp/082231438X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488165222&sr=8-1&keywords=painting+the+maya+universe

https://www.amazon.com/Fiery-Pool-Maya-Mythic-Sea/dp/0875772196/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488165286&sr=8-1&keywords=the+fiery+pool

https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Maya-Art-Hieroglyphic-Sculpture/dp/0500051682/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488165344&sr=8-1&keywords=marc+zender