mayan art Flashcards
Maya Culture, Lady Xok’s Vision of a Giant Snake (Accession Ceremony),
c. 723-726 CE, limestone, from Temple dedicated to Lady Xok in Yaxchilan, Chiapas, Mexico
One of a series of three panels at Yaxchilan
Historical significance: she has to appease the gods through a bloodletting ritual
Expectations of royalty, as normal people are not bloodletting→ the whole order of the cosmos depends on shedding the blood: the blood is collected on a piece of paper
A proclamation of faith, a commitment to religion: shedding blood to please the gods as a royal duty
Symbolism: some scholars suggest that the snake was an ancestral spirit→ therefore, the vision of the snake represents the ruler’s connection to the divine
Lady Xok is Shield Jaguar II’s wife
Accession ceremonies: pivotal moment in Mayan rulership
The intricate carving into limestone demonstrates the Mayan’s high skilled craftsmanship, and the detail paid to it demonstrates the imp of the piece (given it does have to do with royalty and religion that makes sense)
Function: decorative, for the temple at Yaxochilan
Mayan, Shield Jaguar II and Lady Xok, 700 CE, limestone, from temple dedicated to Lady Xok in Yaxchilan, Chiapas, Mexico.
Found in a temple dedicated to Lady Xok
Mayan hieroglyphs → complex writing sys
Jaguar II - a powerful Mayan ruler and Lady Xok is his wife
Symbol of authority: depicts ruler in a victorious stance→ a depiction of political propaganda
Portrayal of Jaguar II possibly standing on a defeated foe→ showcases his authority
Image of Lady Xok in a display of bloodletting as she drags a spiked object thru her tongue
Placement of her hand near Shield Jaguar’s crotch insinuates the idea he is letting blood from his penis
The fact that they are bloodletting merely depicts their divine and political authority as only elite rulers had to participate in this
→ rulers believed to be descendants of god/ divine right to rule
Form: scenes carved in high relief with carefully incised details decorating the raised surfaces→ indicative of skilled carving of Mayans
Was originally painted but now only traces remain
Symbolism: Lady Xok is holding a serpent bar scepter which is a symbol of power and authority
Hieroglyphs: tell us who was in the relief and when the relief was taking place
