Codex Dresdensis

With 42 artistically illustrated pages (originally folded as a leporello), the most richly illustrated of the only four surviving Mayan manuscripts
Celestial observations, numerical mysticism, and a practical calendar for the worship of certain gods, hunting, or home construction
This codex represents one of the most important ethnographic sources on the Maya today

Codex Dresdensis

Mscr. Dresd. R 310 Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats - und Universitätsbibliothek (Dresden, Germany)

Description

Codex Dresdensis

Of the three surviving Mayan manuscripts with hieroglyphs, the Codex Dresdensis is considered to be the most richly decorated: it boasts 42 illustrated pages. Aside from its aesthetic value, it represents one of the most important ethnographic sources on the Maya that has survived to the present.

Codex Dresdensis

"Only three of the native books of pictures with explanatory hieroglyphs, usually called codices, have survived. Although imperfectly understood, they have added considerably to our knowledge of the Maya deities."
J. E. S. Thompson, The Civilizations of the Mayas, Chicago 1958, p. 26

An Artistic Gem

"... Codex Dresdensis, which besides being the most important of the three Maya codices, is also considered as the most artistic. It has been printed in Graz with the most up-to-date techniques, and the photography of almost all of the codex´s 78 pages is entirely new. Included with the full color Graz facsimile of the codex, which is in its original screen-like form, is a supplementary 135-page book that contains commentaries by Helmut Deckert and Ferdinand Anders on the history and early editions of the manuscript. The book also has 42 pages of illustrations, including the codex as it was printed in black and white by the Villacortas in 1930, and examples of the color reproductions of Ernst Forstmann and Lord E. K. Kingsborough. The codex and the book come packed together in a heavy cardboard box with a leather spine and are a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in Maya codices."
H. C. Ball, Newsletter (Inst. of Maya Studies) jan. 1977 (Miami Museum of Science)

Codicology

Alternative Titles: Codex Dresden
Dresden Codex
Type: Manuscript on parchment
Size / Format: 78 pages / 20.5 × 9.0 cm
Origin: Peru
Date: 1200-1250
Epochs: Pre-Colonial
Style: Pre-Columbian
Genre: Mythology / Prophecies
Astronomy / Astrology
Illustrations: 74 full-page miniatures
Previous Owners: Johann Christian Götze (1692–1749)

Available facsimile editions:

Facsimile Editions

#1 Codex Dresdensis

Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Graz, 1975

Publisher: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Graz, 1975

Binding: Bound as a folding book. Half leather case.

Commentary: 1 volume (93 pages) by Ferdinand Anders and Helmut Deckert
Language: German

39 pp. with black-and-white reproduction of the codex, 10 color plates.

1 volume: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.

Price Category: € (under 1,000€)

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