gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology, Pre-Columbian jade; Costa Rica; Maya; exchange; iconography, lapidary

At the Late Preclassic site of Izapa, one of the earliest Maya cities with monumental art, a low stone stela bears a relief carving of a figure with arms held straight out in a gesture of triumph, his hands grasping sceptres of authority (figure 1). He is shown from the waist up, his lower body obscured by a long low rectangle with overhanging flanges, a shape very similar to the canoes of later Maya art. Although its depiction is only schematic, the water on which the canoe floats is carefully defined. A top band with big fish flows rapidly while a lower band of large curling waves suggests darker turbulent depths. Whether the passenger is mortal or a deity is not clear, but his triumph is clearly linked to his voyage in the canoe. The stylized vessel offers a vision of Maya boats that remained consistent over several subsequent centuries and across hundreds of miles. The vision was codified into a specific set of characteristics that the Maya identified with their boats and related equipment—eliminating detail but maintaining what they believed were the fundamental points of interest. The Maya paddled their boats through the cosmic world as well as along rivers and coasts and into the open ocean. Maritime activity turned the sea into a source of luxury goods that the Maya perceived to be embodiments of its power. They harvested its natural resources, in particular shells of certain species, to serve as tribute to rulers. Works in coveted materials such as jade, gold, obsidian, and turquoise, as well as distinctive pottery from far-off workshops, were the direct product of canoe voyaging and reflected sacred power associated with the sea. These objects and images not only indicate how, where, and why the Maya travelled by water, but also allude to the function seafaring served in Maya culture, elevating the status of the boat to one deserving of reverential artistic representation.