Stamps and drawings of Palenque.

Stamps and drawings of Palenque, (Chiapas, Mexico), 1993.
Editorial Testimonio.
Limited facsimile edition with book study by Manuel Ballesteros Gaibrois, copy 215/980.
Notarial certificate attached.
Measurements: 25,50 x 35,50 cm.

Facsimile edition published in 1993 by Testimonio publishing house as part of its Tabula Americae collection, which faithfully reproduces the graphic and written documents generated during the first scientific expedition sent by the Spanish Crown to the ruins of Palenque, in the present state of Chiapas, Mexico, at the end of the 18th century. This mission marked the beginning of systematic studies on the Mayan civilization, giving rise to what is known today as Mayanistics.

The work consists of two volumes. The first contains the notes and drawings made by José Antonio Calderón and Antonio Bernasconi, preserved in the Library of the Royal Academy of History of Madrid. This part is presented in a 22 x 32 cm volume bound in parchment, respecting the original format.

The second volume reproduces the 25 watercolors made by the draftsman Almendariz, who accompanied Captain Antonio del Río in his exploration. These images are presented in a format of 25.5 x 35.5 cm and are bound in leather, as in the copy preserved in the Library of the Royal Palace of Madrid.

These facsimiles are accompanied by a 240-page study volume, with an analysis and historical introduction by Manuel Ballesteros Gaibrois, one of the leading specialists in the history of America and pre-Columbian culture.

The entire work is presented in a limited edition, numbered and notarized, which reinforces its value as an object of bibliophilia and as an essential documentary source for researchers of Mayan archaeology, colonial history and the beginnings of archaeological science in America.