Maya Art Books from A to Z : FLAAR Recomended Book List

 

 

A-B  C-F  G-I  J-M  N-P  R-Z

 

A

 

  • ACANFORA, M. Ornella et al., Il Museo Pigorini. Covers all primitive arts of the world. Lavish publication on the best pre-Columbian collection in Italy (Rome). Outstanding color of mosaic masks, covers all pre-Columbian cultures, including Maya polychrome vases not widely published elsewhere. 428 p, 586 photographs including 122 in full color. This book is not sold elsewhere.
  • AGUILERA, Carmen, CODICE DE HUAMANTLA, 64 p. iconography analysis, entire codex itself is in separate volume (hard cover) in full cover at full size. Such a lavish production was subsidized by the state government of Tlaxcala.
  • AGUILERA, C., LIENZO Y CODICE DE TEPETICPAC, 33 page iconography analysis, complete codex is in portfolio, full color
  • AGRINIER, Pierre, Papers of the New World Archaeological Foundation No. 16 The Archeological Burials at Chiapa de Corzo and Their Furniture (Publication No. 12), 75 p., plenty of illustrations.
  • AGRINIER, P., EXCAVATIONS AT SAN ANTONIO, CHIAPAS, MEXICO. Papers of the New World Archaeological Foundation Number 24., 61 p., architectural drawings (ballcourt, sweatbath, tomb chambers).
  • AGRINIER, P., Mound 1A, Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas, Mexico: A late preclassic architectural complex (Papers of the New World Archaeological Foundaton), 43 p., Preclassic monumental architecture.
  • AGRINIER, P., Mounds 9 and 10 at Mirador, Chiapas, Mexico (Papers of the New World Archaeological Foundation), 104 p, Protoclassic stela, scores of illustrations of pottery related to Holmul I and Tzakol 1 and 2; essential reference for early Peten Maya iconography
  • AGRINIER, P., Mound 20, Mirador, Chiapas, Mexico (Papers of the New World Archaeological Foundation), 84 p., dozens and dozens of illustrations of more pottery related to Early Classic in Peten.
  • ALCINA FRANCH, JOSE, Calendario y religion entre los zapotecos (Serie de culturas mesoamericanas) (Spanish Edition), 35 maps & illustrations, 438 p.
  • ALCORN, Janis, Huastec Mayan Ethnobotany, Hardcover, description of plants used by Maya and how they used to treat human disorders., 982 p.
  • ALVAREZ, Carlos and CASASOLA, Luis, Las figurillas de Jonuta, Tabasco (Proyecto Tierras bajas noroccidentales del area maya) (Spanish Edition), UNAM, 6 maps, 72 photographs of figurines and illustrations. This book illustrates more Maya figurines than most books on Jaina. Actually, if you have this book in your library, you will quickly realize that 25% of all "Jaina" figurines so listed in publications are actually from JONUTA, Tabasco. Probably 80% of the figurines in this book are nowhere else published. 117 p., softcover, long out of print. Ours are original, new (not 2nd-hand).
  • ALVAREZ A., Luis Fernando, LANDA L., M. G., and Jose Luis ROMERO R., Los ladrillos de Comalcalco (Coleccion Arqueologia, antropologia e historia) (Spanish Edition), the best book ever produced on the fascinating graffiti of this major Maya site: deities, hieroglyphs, flora, fauna, lots of architectural designs showing temples and pyramids. 280 p. filled with 300 informative line drawings of all the art. Rare, unavailable, not offered elsewhere.
  • ALVAREZ DEL TORO, Miguel, LOS REPTILES DE CHIAPAS. Since snakes, iguanas, etc. dominate many aspects of Maya art and mythology, this book is a bible for iconographers (as well as for zoologists, ethno-zoologists, and osteologists) - essential for the Maya archaeologist who wants to understand Maya art. Loaded with illustrations (mostly in color), 3rd edition (1982), 248 p. out of print, (one available, first come, first served.)
  • AMERLINCK, Maria Concepcion, Historia y cultura del tabaco en Mexico (Spanish Edition). 291 color photos, 19 B+W, 33 figs, 51 tables, hardbound, 293 p. An impressive coffee table book on tobacco including scenes from Aztec codices of smoking. The Mexican tobacco industry must have poured lots of money into producing this book, Mexican coffee table books are equal to Japanese and Italian quality, often surpassing the beauty of art books even produced in the USA.
  • d'ANNA, Enrico, TABACCO STORIA ARTE. Fancy coffee table book subsidized by the Italian government as a present to ambassadors, senators. There was no way ever to buy a copy of this book. 307 p., 198 works of art in full color, from Matisse, Munch, Degas, Duchamp, van Gogh, and also a section of MAYA vase paintings showing smoking, photos by Hellmuth.
  • Atlas del tabaco en Mexico (Spanish Edition), 1989, 134 pages (an immense 13 inches wide times 17 inches long), extensive bibliography, discusses soils, history of tobacco (including in pre-Columbian times, with artifacts). Long out of print (means unavailable even in Mexico), we have not seen this offered for sale in the United States or Europe. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica Geografia e Informatica, Joaquin Abdon Huerta Alva (coordinator).
  • Primer Simposio Mundial Sobre Epigrafia Maya dedicado al Dr. Heinrich Berlin y a la Memoria de Tatiana Proskouriakoff 1909-1985, with articles by Clemency Coggins, Christopher Jones on decipherment of inscriptions at Tikal as well as the only published illustrations of the just discovered incredible early architectural facade masks of Uaxactun much nicer sculpture than the famous E- VII-sub! Includes complete epigraphy and iconography of the remarkable Teotihuacan style portable ballcourt marker recently found at Tikal Early with lots of glyphs. Only 500 copies ever printed.
  • DIEGO RIVERA MUSEUM - ANAHUACALLI: Museo Diego Rivera, multi-lingual includes English, long out of print, includes Nayarit ballgame village scene plus Colima ballplayers.
  • ANDREWS, Antonio P. and Fernando Robles Castellanos, Excavaciones arqueologicas en El Meco, Quintana Roo, 1977 (Coleccion cientifica) (Spanish Edition), 1977, INAH. 49 photos, 62 figs, 7 maps, 7 charts, 162 p.,
  • ANDREWS, E. WYLLYS, V., THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF QUELEPA, EL SALVADOR. Publication 42 in Middle American Research Institute Tulane University., 184 illus,
    199 p., essential for ballgame studies, the southernmost major find of yokes, palmas, and hachas.
  • ANDREWS, George, Comalcalco Tabasco, Mexico: Maya Art and Architecture : With Boxed Maps, 1989 revised and expanded edition, "Vol. I" is 160 pages filled with beautiful drawings of the pyramids, temples, and palaces, plus lots of the unusual Maya art of this unusual site (in the style of Palenque) overall 128 photographs and drawings; "Vol. II" is boxed set of large architectural maps of the entire site.
  • ANDREWS, George, EDZNA, CAMPECHE, MEXICO: MONUMENTAL ARCHITECTURE revised and expanded F.L.A.A.R. edition, Includes references to the extensive ancient Maya canal irrigation system unique to Edzna, drawings of stelae, hieroglyphic stairway, lots of temples and pyramids, two "volumes" (one volume text; one volume boxed set of large architectural maps).
  • ANDREWS, George et al. ARCHITECTURE AND ARCHAEOLOGY...IN YUCATAN, nine essays on Puuc architecture including one by L. Mills on carved columns (column stelae), in Spanish and English, 88 p., ample illustrations, subsidized by the French government, includes a 3D drawing of the main palace of Santa Rosa Xtampak.
  • ARNAULD, Marie C., Archeologie de l'Habitat en Alta Verapaz (Guatemala) (Etudes Mesoamericaines, Volume X), 480 p, study of ancient Maya house remains compared with Maya huts today, plus 7th century ceramic art, plenty of illustrations.
  • AOYAGI, Masaki & OKI, Yoshio, NEW HISTORY OF WORLD ART - World Art Complete Collection, The Prehistoric Art and Central & South American Art, most lavish Japanese Mesoamerican coffee table book, over 800 photographs, 90% of Mesoamerican section taken by Nicholas Hellmuth and his F.L.A.A.R. crew. All photos have both English and Japanese descriptions with provenances indicated. This book is not sold anywhere else outside of Japan.
  • ARQUEOLOGIA, 1, INAH. 39 photos, 35 drawings, 13 maps, 6 tables, paperbound, 238 p. This is now "the" INAH archaeology series; this issue covers Sinaloa, Huaxtec Maya, Olmec, Tula, and others.
  • ARQUEOLOGIA, 2, INAH. 15 photos, 25 drawings, 30 maps, 5 tables, paperbound, 241 p. Covers newly found murals of Monte Alban IIIA style at Huijazoo; plus Chalcatzingo, Tlaxcala.
  • Artes de Mexico, Artes De Mexico No. 134 Teotihuacan Lugar De Dioses, 114 p, long out of print, the murals in color, and it's hardcover.
  • Artes de Mexico, MUSEO NACIONAL DE ANTROPOLOGIA, double size issue, long out of print, many full page photographs, much in color. Fill in the missing numbers of your "Artes de Mexico" series.
  • Association for Belizean Archaeology, Warlords and maize men: A guide to the Maya sites of Belize: covers Altun Ha, CARACOL, Cerros, Cuello, LAMANAI, Lubaantun, Nim Li Punit, Nohmul, Pacbitun, Pilar, Santa Rita, Uxbenka, XUNANTUNICH. 82 pages, ample illustrations, the best archaeological guide to all the major sites of BELIZE.
  • AUBIN, EL TONALAMATL DE AUBIN complete color edition of the codex, lavishly published by the government of Tlaxcala, out of print, this particular codex is not available from ADEVA, Graz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B

 

  • BASSIE-SWEET, Karen, FROM THE MOUTH OF THE DARK CAVE, Commorative Sculpture of the Late Classic Maya, 6 Tables, 70 figures of Maya scenes & glyphs and descriptions, Hardcover with glossy dustjacket. 287
  • BAUDEZ, Claude et al, Introduccion a la Arqueologia de Copan, Honduras, 3 Volumes, reports by many Mayanists, I, 628 p., II, 576 p., III, maps equivalent in thickness to over 400 pages, thousands of illustrations and photographs (sculpture, ceramic art and more). The standard reference work for Copan archaeology.
  • BAUDEZ, Claude, MAYA SCULPTURE OF COPAN - THE ICONOGRAPHY, 116 B&W photos, 135 drawings of monuments and stelae, 3 tables, 1 map, Hardcover, 300 p.
  • BAUDEZ, Claude, Jean-Frederic Waldeck, peintre: Le premier explorateur des ruines mayas (French Edition), w/63 drawings & paintings of Maya carvings and fanciful landscapes & people, glossy pages, Hardcover. 200 p.
  • BAUS de Czitron, C. LOS PERROS DE LA ANTIGUA PROVINCIA DE COLIMA. Estudio y corpus de sus representantes en arcilla en las colecciones del Museo Nacional de Antropologia. 2a ed, INAH. 55 photos, 97 p.; the complete collection of the Museo Nacional de Antropologia essential reference for the museum curator or art historian.
  • BECKER-DONNER, Etta, Die mexikanischen Sammlungen des Museums f�r V�lkerkunde, Wien, complete catalog of the royal museum of Vienna, with their renowned Aztec feather shield and capes in full color, and everything else pictured on European quality paper, 120 p., including 64 full page photographs,
  • BECQUELIN, Pierre, Arch�ologie de la r�gion de N�baj : Guat�mala (Guatemala), lots of illustrations of decorated MAYA pottery (Early Classic and giant complex incensarios), 194 p., 145 photos, printed in Europe,
  • BENSON, Elizabeth (editor) City -States of the Maya: Art and Architecture with articles on
    El Mirador by Ray Matheny, Tikal by Peter Harrison,
    Uxmal by Jeff Kowalski, Copan by Mary Miller,
    Palenque by Linda Schele, 171 pages, features color architectural drawings of El Mirador, a map of El Mirador, and color photographs of Copan, out of print, but we have copies in stock. Available for immediate shipment.
  • BENSON, Elizabeth, THE MOCHA - A Culture of Peru, Hardcover, 8 color photos of sites and arti-
    facts, 114 B&W photos of statues & pottery, 5 photos of sites, describes the people through their art. 164 P.
  • BENSON, Elizabeth and Gillett Griffin (eds), Maya Iconography, articles by Lee Parsons, David Freidel, Linda Schele, John Justeson, Norman Hammond, Nicholas Hellmuth, David Stuart, Michael Coe, Barbara and Justin Kerr, Francis Robicsek and Donald Hales, John Carlson, Mary Miller, Karl Taube and others, over 500 drawings and photographs. Discusses discoveries in Maya art and hieroglyphic decipherment.
  • BENSON, Elizabeth and David Joralemon, Pre-Columbian art from Mesoamerica and Ecuador: Selections from Distinguished Private Collections. 32 p., Color & B+W photos of Olmec and Maya art not published anywhere else.
  • BERJONNEAU, Gerald and Jean-Louis Sonnery, Rediscovered Masterpieces of Mesoamerica. Mexico. Guatemala. Honduras, foreword by Michael Coe, who called this "the most beautiful book yet produced on Mesoamerican art" handsomely printed in Switzerland, hardcover, filled with hundreds of photographs (including by Justin Kerr, some by Nicholas Hellmuth), lavish layout, large page size, 287 pages of outstanding ancient art.
  • BERLIN, Heinrich, SIGNOS Y SIGNIFICADOS EN LAS INSCRIPCIONES MAYAS. 10 tables of glyphs, 5 drawings, 197 p., the last great treatise on decipherment of hieroglyphic writing by the scholar who identified the Palenque Triad (GI, GII, GIII) and who first worked on emblem glyphs. A basic reference work for today's epigrapher.
  • BERNAL, Ignacio and Arturo Oliveros. Exploraciones arqueologicas en Dainzu, Oaxaca (Coleccion cientifica) (Spanish Edition). 62 photos, 52 plates with drawings, 5 fold out maps, INAH, 130 p.
  • BERNAL, Ignacio and A. Seuffert, The ballplayers of Dainzu (Artes Americanae), Oaxaca warrior- players wearing gloves and helmets, 56 large format plates, 13 photographs, 32 p. (coffee table book size), hardbound by hand. Quality printed in Graz, Austria.
  • BERRIN, K, and Esther PASZTORY (editors), Teotihuacan: Art from the City of the Gods. 288 pages, softcover coffee table quality. Two hundred six beautiful color photographs, 22 black and white photos, 18 drawings and six charts and maps. The largest, most complete portrayal of Teotihuacan art yet produced: murals, pottery, masks, architecture, figurines everything.
  • BEUTELSPACHER, Carlos R. LAS MARIPOSAS ENTRE LOS ANTIGUOS MEXICANOS. 6 color photos, 16 B+W photos, 284 illustrations in both color and B+W, hardbound 103 p. The most complete book yet produced on the appearance of a creature so important in Teotihuacan iconography.
  • de BORHEGYI, S., Archaeological reconnaissance of Chinkultic, Chiapas, Mexico, 16 p. With photographs and maps, helpful if you have ever been or consider visiting,
  • Chinkultic, de BORHEGYI, S., The pre-Columbian ballgames: A pan-Mesoamerican tradition (Contributions in anthropology and history), edited by Lee Parsons. Many photographs of ballgame scenes, sculpture, yokes, hachas, and palmas. 30 p.
  • BOTURINI, de, Lorenzo, Codice Baranda (Spanish Edition). 20 drawings of codex pages, color fold out facsimile, 53 p. These are the only two copies we have been able to find.
  • BRETON, Adela, Some notes on Xochicalco. One of the few publications on Xochicalco available in English; has outstanding drawings of the monumental facade sculpture - Mayoid mixed with Post-Teotihuacan styles. Transactions of the Dept. of Archaeology, Free Museum of Science and Art, Philadelphia, Vol. 2, Part 1. 105 p
  • .BRUCE, Roberto, GRAMATICA DEL LACANDON, INAH, Mexico City, 152 p., includes art and archaeology with photographs and drawings of Lacandon incense burners never before published. This is far more than a grammar, it is a complete ethnography, especially rich in mythology an ideal source for interpreting polychrome Maya vases. A book such as this is essential for iconographers. Long out of print, we have a few new copies available.
  • BRUCE, Roberto, Textos y Dibujos Lacandones De Naja - Lacandon Texts and Drawings from Naha (Trilingual Edition: Lacandon - Spanish - English), 158 p., INAH, lots of illustrations of importance to Maya iconography and religion.
  • BRUEGGEMANN, JUERGEN et al., Tajin, 160 pages of color photographs with text in Spanish, (9.5" x 12") 174 p.

 

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Last updated October 9, 2009
New page format posted July 21, 2009
Revised November 22, 1996 (still more or less okay in 1999)