Hieroglyphic Altar

A.D. 650/700

Late Classic Maya
Possibly Bonampak/Lacanha area, Mexico or Guatemala

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.

Status: On View, Gallery 136
Department: Arts of the Americas

Culture: Maya
Title: Hieroglyphic Altar
Place: Bonampak (Object made in)
Date: 650 CE–700 CE
Medium: Limestone
Dimensions: 21.6 × 37.5 × 41.9 cm (8 1/2 × 14 3/4 × 16 1/2 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Baker
Reference Number: 1971.895
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/37817/manifest.json

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.