Maize, the staple food that was crucial to the peoples of Mesoamerica (modern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and northern Honduras), evolved into a symbol associated with earthly and divine power. This visually striking catalogue accompanying a major exhibition sheds light on the sacred meanings attributed to maize, cacao, and maguey (a variety of agave) in the region’s ancient cultures. Their complex mythologies and worldviews are revealed in visual representations that go back as far as 3,500 years, from the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations through the colonial and republican periods, and up to the present day.

With objects from the Museum’s notable holdings in the Arts of the Americas at its core, the presentation is further enriched by documentary photographs and modern and contemporary artworks by José Guadalupe Posada, Diego Rivera, Flor Garduño, and others. An essay by Prof. Nimrod Luz on the current socio-political implications of maize cultivation offers a pertinent epilogue to the comprehensive research of Yvonne Fleitman, curator of the exhibition and author of this fascinating study.

By Yvonne Fleitman

2022

Hardcover

Hebrew-English

208 pages, 28.7 x 21 cm