Currently not on view
Bearded dwarf carrying a shield,
600–800
Dwarfs in Maya Art
These figures’ stout bodies, together with the distinctive facial features of several, indicate a naturalistic and sensitive rendition of achondroplasia, a genetic mutation that is among the most common causes of dwarfism. Dwarfs frequently appear in ancient Maya art, as they were common and important members of royal courts. Some scholars have suggested that their especially close relationship to Maya kings had mythological roots. Kings considered themselves akin to the beautiful maize god, whose long, slender head mimicked that of the single well-formed ear of corn a plant typically produces; other ears on the plant tend to be smaller and not fully developed. By analogy, people with achondroplasia were thought to be “of the same stalk” as royalty.
Information
600–800
North America, Mexico, Campeche, Maya area, Jaina Island or vicinity
- "Gifts by J. Lionberger Davis, Class of 1900, to the Art Museum", Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 33, no. 2 (1974): p. 24-30., p. 29
- Mary Ellen Miller, Jaina Figurines: A Study of Maya Iconography (Princeton: The Princeton University Art Museum, 1975)., p. 42 (illus.)
- Linda Schele and Mary E. Miller, The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art (New York and Fort Worth, George Braziller, Inc. and Kimbell Art Museum, 1986)., pl. 60 (illus.)
- Linda Schele, Hidden Faces of the Maya (Poway: ALTI Publishing, 1997)., pl. 23, p. 116 (illus.)
