Hieroglyphic Altar
Maya · 650–700 · Art Institute of Chicago
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This altar depicts the head and torso of an individual wearing an ornate headdress and a large, woven mat pectoral emblem of rulership. He appears within a four-lobed cartouche, suggesting that he is a deceased ancestor who lives in the Underworld. The hieroglyphs that surround the figure describe the commemoration of a monument or structure; the text carved around the sides of the monument celebrate a successor’s completion of six years of kingship.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Details
- Maker
- Late Classic Maya, Possibly Bonampak/Lacanha area, Mexico or Guatemala
- Date
- 650–700
- Medium
- Limestone
- Dimensions
- 21.6 × 37.5 × 41.9 cm (8 1/2 × 14 3/4 × 16 1/2 in.)
- Place of origin
- Bonampak
- Held by
- Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · Not on view
- Credit line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Baker
Image: Art Institute of Chicago, CC0
