Technologies of replication in Maya figurines

Summary

Among the class of Late Classic Maya figurines generally considered to be from the Island of Jaina, molds were used to form entire objects as well as individual body parts. Molds may also have been taken of one finished figurine in order to generate a new object that would be slightly larger than the original, sometimes resulting in cascading generations of related works. Production techniques of the ceramic mold may also have been deployed for individual body parts, particularly the human head. In this investigation the nature of assembly, the use of molds for both body parts and whole figurines, and the subtle differentiation of related works, will be evaluated.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Molding Matter: Technologies of Reproduction in the Precolumbian Americas   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14608