Kislak Talks
Carol Damian: Mysteries of the Maya Diving God

Kislak Talks
Carol Damian: Mysteries of the Maya Diving God

The Diving God remains a mysterious figure, although he appears frequently in the art of ancient Mesoamerica, especially that of the Maya of the Yucatán. The Diving God, sometimes called the Descending God, may represent the planet Venus, which descends, the God of the Bees, or the Yucatecan owl, a guardian of the night. The collection of the Kislak Center at MDC holds a ceramic vessel adorned with an especially compelling sculptural representation of this enigmatic deity, painted in still vibrant colors that include the almost equally enigmatic hue known today as Maya Blue.

Join Kislak Center Curator Dr. Carol Damian, a noted scholar of pre-Hispanic art, for a plunge into the mysteries of the Diving God, his symbolic meanings, and the beautiful vessel that bears his likeness in the Center’s Jay I. Kislak Collection of the Early Americas, Exploration and Navigation. Dr. Damian also explores the riddle of Maya Blue, its remarkable properties, and the scientific research that has unlocked some of its secrets.