After more than two years of renovation and restructuring, the Maya Room of Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology reopened its doors in July 2003. With more than 700 pieces, 160 of which are on display for the first time, the new face of the hall seeks to diffuse the latest interpretations regarding this culture and, simultaneously, exhibit its magnificence and diversity through its multiple expressions in stone, ceramic, metals and other materials.
Seeking to reveal the most representative aspects of the Maya Room to the greater public, the National Institute of Anthropology and History –through its Museum Coordination and National Museum of Anthropology–, and Editorial Raíces united their forces so as to publish the present issue. In addition to being a testimony of the Maya Room itself, this publication looks to stimulate the reader’s interest in discovering the world of the ancient Maya, appreciating their accomplishments and understanding both their daily and ritual way of life in the regions they inhabited and the time periods they lived in.
On the one hand, the photographic work of Jorge Pérez de Lara will allow the reader to see and enjoy each piece with the particular and artistic vision of his lense. On the other, Martín García-Urtiaga’s design, elaborated and harmonious, wants to respect and reflect both the criteria that were followed by the room’s museography: chronological and thematic order.
Two fundamental texts introduce this issue. The first, written by Felipe Solís, director of the nma, gives an account of the history of the Maya collection and presence in the museum from the 19th century onto our days.