Sale 2683 - Lot 292

Mérida, Carlos (1891-1984)
Estampas del Popol-Vuh.

Mexico City: Graphic Art Publications & Talleres Graficos de la Nacion, 1943.

Limited edition, folio; number 749 of 1000 numbered copies signed by Merida in red ink on the limitation page; with text in Spanish and English; illustrated with 10 color lithographs by the artist, contained in the original publisher's portfolio with original cloth ties intact (minor dampstain to upper edges, printed tissue guards with some offsetting from plates, lightly toned; portfolio dampstained with some chips and fraying); 16 x 12 1/4 in.

Inspired by the sacred Maya text, the Popol Vuh, Mérida created 10 stunning lithographs paired with translucent tissue guards printed with relevant passages from the foundational pre-Columbian work. "Estampas del Polpol-Vuh tells the story of the creation of the world, the subsequent victory of the heroic twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque over an evil demon, and the birth of mankind. The Popol Vuh is undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary works among the early books of America. With its theory of the creation of the universe and its mythological history of the Maya K'iche' lineage, the Maya text is of particular importance given the scarcity of early accounts dealing with Mesoamerican mythologies due to the purging of documents after the Spanish conquest." (Gallery Hecho a Mano, from Merida's 2009 exhibition).