Thisdeeoratiouis taken 

 from Maya sculpture. It 

 •oncerns the "maize god," 

 ho was imag'ined as a yonth- 

 aiid beautiful ])eiui>' under the 

 iM'tion of the oldci- and wiser 

 li'ods of rain and of sunshine. Tlie upper 

 detail is a stueeo relief from the Palace 

 at Palenipie. Tlie i^od comes down 

 from above and at rig-ht and left are 

 seen leaves and bursting ears of maize. 

 The side details ai'c from Stele H at 

 ( "opan. where several maize gods clambei- 

 among feafhers and twining serpents. 

 The maize god always wears a headdress 

 fashioned into a conventional ear of 

 maize. Elsewhere in the New World 

 also agriculture I'eactt^l strongly ui)on 

 religion and art. 



The world today is indebted to the work 

 of tlu^ American Indian for the following : 



180 



