Among the strange wonders at "Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Mayan Art," which just opened at the Met, was this 7th-9th century platter from Mexico featuring, we're told, two young gods shooting blowguns at a supernatural bird pictured at center. Their skin is ridden with black sores, symbolic of humility and sickness, contrasting with the bird's ostentatious appearance. This story is pretty straightforward compared to another roughly contemporary dish, where the rain god Chahk emerges[es] from the dark waters of a sinkhole. Exuberant tendrils emerge from his head, terminating in personified flowers, a roaring jaguar, and a serpent while celestial beings gather above and the Maize god sprouts from the submerged rhizome of a water lily.
