Long before Europeans came to Central America the Maya people ruled the land with an advanced society rich in technology, culture, language and spirituality.
At the peak of the Maya hierarchy is the Jaguar, an emblematic figure of power and transcendence between the world of the living and the dead.
This inspired the Royal BC Museum’s newest exhibit Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises, which will open on May 17 until December 31.
About to get a sneak peek at the @RoyalBCMuseum‘s new Maya exhibit… #yyj @VictoriaNews pic.twitter.com/WQoy0uNzYY
— Nicole Crescenzi (@NicoleCrescenzi) May 14, 2019
“This new exhibition, a world premier, boasts the largest and most impressive display of Maya objects ever seen with more than 300 precious jade, ceramic, stone and textile artifacts reflecting classic and contemporary Maya culture,” said Leah Best, head of knowledge at the Royal BC Museum.
VIDEO: Royal BC Museum unveils rare artifact in upcoming Maya exhibit
Many of the objects have never been seen outside of Guatemala, while others are making their inaugural appearance.
“It’s the largest Maya exhibit which has ever been shown in Canada and probably North America,” said Nikolai Grube, chair of the Anthropology of the Americas department at the University of Bonn.
Grube read aloud passages of carefully preserved Maya hieroglyphics dating back 1300 years and marvelled at how much of the language is still preserved in Central America today.
“One of the aims of this display is to show the continuity of Maya culture from its beginnings in the second and first millennium, before Christ, until the present day,” Grube said. “The great relevance of the exhibition is because this year is the UNESCO year of Indigenous languages. We’ll show the relevance of the Indigenous languages of Guatemala, and the resilience of these languages, a topic which of course resonates here in Canada. “
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A majority of the exhibit focuses on Maya culture between the 2nd-9th century, displaying innovative art, jewellery and architecture. All the pieces are original, with the exception of a few replicas made so that people can touch them.
A smaller portion of the exhibit also shows modern day Maya culture with examples picked from the customs of the six million contemporary Maya people on earth today.
The display will open at 10 a.m. on Friday May 17.
For more information, you can visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
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