Jaina (House Over the Sea) lies just off the coast of Yucatan and boasts two crumbling pyramids but they are not what make both archaeologists and art lovers leap for joy. The entire island is a necropolis, where, for centuries before and after the conquest, the Maya elite were interred, usually with a jade bead in their mouths and accompanied by grave goods much as they were in other Maya burial grounds.

     What is unusual about the Jaina burials is the astonishing artistry and beauty of the small figurines clutched in the hands of the dead. These tiny statues, only a few inches tall, capture intimate glimpses of upper class Mayan life and styles in clay still showing traces of the vivid colors with which they were painted. Some are hollow with clay pellets that rattle; others have holes and serve as whistles or ocarinas.      Surprisingly, none have been ritually ‘killed’ by breaking or piercing as was usual with votive offerings.
     Bodies are often stylized but the faces, surely portraits, are modeled in loving detail down to the faint smile of a lady, the haughty sneer of a priest or the menacing scowl of a warrior. Costumes are elaborate and represented with the same fidelity.
According to Diego de Landa, who recorded many details of Maya life soon after the Conquest, producing these masterpieces seems to have been an act of penance. The artists were isolated and required to fast, exercise strict continence and undergo rigorous religious rituals until the job was done. Otherwise, the work was considered unclean and of evil omen.......
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