The ancient Maya were surrounded by the sea in all directions, and their world revolved around water. More than a necessity to sustain life, water was the vital medium from which the world emerged, gods arose, and ancestors communicated. Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea offers a new interpretation of Maya culture based on the sea as a defining feature of the Maya spiritual realm and the inspiration for much of that culture’s finest art. Over 90 works, many recently excavated and never before seen in the United States, reflect the broad range of media used by Maya artists: massive, carved stone monuments; exquisitely decorated vessels; charming, sculpted human and animal figurines; and lavish goods crafted from jade, gold, and turquoise.

Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea