Panel Fragment from Chiapas in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, December 2022

Title: Panel fragment

Date: 7th–8th century

Geography: Mexico, Chiapas, Palenque region

Culture: Maya

Medium: Stone

Dimensions: H. 39 3/4 × W. 25 9/16 × D. 9 13/16 in., 661.4 lb. (101 × 65 × 25 cm, 300 kg)

Classification: Stone-Sculpture

Credit Line: Museo de Sitio de Palenque Alberto Ruz L’Huillier, Mexico, Secretaría de Cultura–Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia

Accession Number: SL.2.2022.16.3

This warrior, armed with a shield and spear, wears a headdress featuring a centipede head with long, curved fangs. Although his name is unknown, the figure’s royal identity is confirmed by a beaded diadem on his forehead. Marks on his forearms normally present in portraits of the Sun God—k’in signs for "sun" or "day"—suggest he is impersonating the solar deity. The angular serpent- head element that passes through his nose indicates the Sun God’s fiery breath. The Sun God was regarded as a warrior, whose rays were comparable to fighters’ darts and the painful sting of centipedes.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/820328?pkgids=804