---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Ottinger, George M.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 13
number: 6
published: 1910-04
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Ottinger, George M., "The Maya Sculptor," *Improvement Era* 13, no. 6 (April 1910): 498–499.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1306unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera1306unse
start_page: 498
end_page: 499
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1910-04)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1306unse
  publication_year: 1910
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1910, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# The Maya Sculptor


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THE MAYA SCULPTOR.
(From a Painting by George M. Ottinger.)

<!-- page:499 -->

THE MAYA SCULPTOR.
With respect to the artistic merit of the monuments of

Yucatan, and their status in comparison with the works of

the ancient Greeks, Romans and other old-world peoples, it

would be far from favorable; yet, they are most wonderful

when we consider that the handiwork of those old artists,

original in design   and motive, workman-like in finish and

execution, was chiseled by men who had no knowledge of

iron or any metal.    Their stone implements were porphyry,

and the material out of which the ancient artists of that

region cut their basso-relievos and monoliths, was a soft

coralline    limestone,   on which such a tool as porphyry

would be almost as effective as one of steel.

In some of the ruins of the old cities, especially at Copan,

there are clusters of square stone pillars or obelisks varying

from twelve to twenty        feet high.   They   are elaborately

sculptured, showing human figures, ornamental designs and

hieroglyphic inscriptions on their sides.   The picture repre-

sents a     Maya sculptor, elevated on his scaffolding, labo-

riously and patiently working out his conception of a dei-

fied   king or hero, which evidently these monoliths per-

sonify.

GEORGE M. OTTINGER.