Archeological Relief Rubbing by Merle Greene Robertson
When I was very little my grandparents gave me a tape recorder. I taped everything from my grandpa playing the guitar, singing and conversations in their house. I loved to interview my grandparents. I wanted to know all their old stories, music and jokes. My love for family history grew. Solving family history mysteries and figuring out timelines have always been so rewarding to me. Researching vintage and antique found items has a very similar reward.
What an incredible history unfolded from an art piece that passed through me—an ARCHAELOGICAL RELIEF RUBBING BY MERLE GREENE ROBERTSON
The original archaelogical rubbing by famed scholar Merle Greene Robertson was created by her in 1993. This is a close up detail showing the textures paper and ink, full of history.
It came to me in excellent condition on rice paper, mounted, matted in linen face board and framed. Signed and dated. Overall with frame approximately 66” x 17.75”. Rubbing 58” x 11.25”. A dramatic horizontal rubbing.
Mrs. Robertson was a leading researcher of ancient Mayan civilization and a passionate teacher who led hundreds of local students on adventures amid the ruins of Central America and Mexico. She pioneered a type of archaeological rubbing, using Japanese rice paper and ink, that elevated the standard technique for recording images artifacts to an art form. For the rubbings, she would clean the artifact, then cover it with wet rice paper. When the paper dried, she meticulously blotted it with ink until she created a perfect impression of the of artifact. Rubbings are superior to photographs or drawings because they’re 100 percent scale, can be three-dimensional and contain no shadows. More than 2,000 of her rubbings are preserved at Tulane University in New Orleans. In 1983, the Mexican government honored her with the highest award it bestows on foreigners, the Order of the Aztec Eagle, for her years of helping preserve Mayan heritage. There are many fascinating books about her research work, rubbings, awards and photos—A fascinating woman and such a rare glimpse of history in art form.
The rubbings of Merle Greene Robertson, which are noted for their accuracy, are considered the finest anywhere. Best represented are the Classic sites of Tikal, Kaminaljuyu, Santa Lucia Cotzumalhuapa, Tazumal, Palenque, Chinikiha, Yaxchilan, Bonampak, Picdras Negras, Uaxactun, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Dzibilchaltun. All of them have been done with the written permission of the Mexican, Guatemalan, Honduran, Belizian, and Salvadoran governments.
Two important developments in the area of Maya studies gave this project a sense of urgency. One has to do with the explosion of knowledge about the political history of the ancient Maya. New archaeological data, including the discovery of new sculptured monuments in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, as well as recent advancements in the decipherment of the Maya hieroglyphic script, have greatly increased our understanding the processes of ancient Maya civilization. Questions about the roles of warfare and environmental destruction to the demise of the large centers in the tenth century relate directly to the problems of today. The other reason for urgency in recording and preserving monuments has to do with the continuing destruction of Maya archaeological remains. It is a race against time to record them due to deliberate loss through theft and vandalism, as well as the natural ravages of time. The average rate of destruction of limestone by normal wear is about to 4 mm in 50 years, or roughly, 1mm every 12years. In addition, jungle growth-plants, bacteria, and algae-takes its toll. It can cover the monuments and send plant roots into the cracks and crevices. These in turn break up the sculpture.
Merle Greene Robertson recorded the Maya Archival Database Project of rubbings from 1962-1993. These CD ROM disks contain over 1200 rubbings of Classic Maya monuments from over 80 sites. At the time this rubbing was made, in 1993, the archive was just published. They were still other works/rubbings that they were working on from Chichen Itza and other sites. I do not know the specific site or project that this particular rubbing came from. It’s rare to see or own one of her rubbings. It was a very special piece that I had the honor of seeing, researching and finding a new home for.
