![]() ![]() The paper is anchored against the stone with a few pieces of masking tape. I cannot stress too strongly the two most important points that must be borne in mind at all times: 1) the original monument must not be marred in any way, and no pigment at all can be allowed to come in contact with the stone and 2) the rubbing must be authentic, no embellishments, no 20th century additions or so-called improvements being allowed. Such was the case when working on the “Full-figure Glyphs of the Palace Tablet” at Palenque, where the moisture content within the stone varied greatly in adjacent sections. Sometimes I would have to try many methods before finding the right combination. ![]() A delicately lined tablet, such as that of the “Panel of the 96 Hieroglyphs” at Palenque, needs a fine-grained, yet strong paper to bring out the detail. An eight-foot stela with deep relief demands a paper of sufficient strength to withstand the stretch and pull caused by the deep cuts. I use Japanese handmade papers of different types and weights. There are different ways, or combinations of ways, to do this, depending upon type of stone, its moisture content, and the degree of humidity.Ī hard black basalt monument from Kaminaljuyu calls for a different technique than the more porous limestone of Tikal, the moisture-laden bas-relief tablets at Palenque, or the lime-encrusted overhead lintels of the doorways at Yaxchilan or Bonampak. ![]() At times I have used a rather different technique in order to bring out the nature of the particular stone, and to pick up every cut of the original carved monument. “Rubbing” is a very ancient Chinese method of recording. Best represented are the Classic sites of Tikal, Kaminaljuyu, Santa Lucia Cotzumalhuapa, Tazumal, Palenque, Chinikiha, Yaxchilan, Conampak, Piedras Negras, Uaxactun, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Dzibilchaltun. I wanted to record as many of these monuments as possible, accurately and in full scale, by a process of “rubbing.” The packet of documents from the Mexican and Guatemalan Governments and the many credentials which enabled me to do this became, for three years, my most essential, if not my most valuable possessions. The dynastic hypothesis set forth by Tatiana Proskouriakoff, makes it seem likely that some, if not all, of the figures are the rulers and their families who are named in the inscriptions. ![]() Until recently, the stelae were generally though to be solely concerned with marking of time, the human figures being portraits of gods and priests. These monolithic, upright stone slabs, usually bearing hieroglyphic inscriptions and figures of personages, plus the bas-relief tablets in the temples, are the carvings from which I have been taking the rubbings now on exhibit at the University Museum. The predominantly monumental art of the ancient Maya civilization in Classic times, from the third to the tenth century A.D., produced close to a thousand known stelae. Humans are entwined with grotesque heads (2,3,4), with a toad (5), a sun representative (6), and the Ahau at the bottom (7). The introductory glyph is the patron of the Maya month Mac. (Shown here and below) Full-figure glyphs of the Palace Tablet, Palenque. ![]()
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