Lintel 25 (current state vs false color), Maya bas-relief carved in limestone during the reign of king Itzamnaaj B’alam II, (Shield Jaguar II), Yaxchilan, Mexico, c. 770 CE. It shows Lady Xook during a bloodletting ritual in which she has invoked the vision of a Teotihuacan serpent…[1660×1280] [OC]

…I have used different tones to make it easier to enjoy the immense level of detail in the carving.

Lintel 25 is one of a series of three panels from Structure 23 originally set above the central doorway. The building is dedicated to Shield Jaguar II’s wife, Lady K’ab’al Xook, shown on the bottom right of the panel, conjuring a vision of a Teotihuacan serpent.

While she looks up, Lady Xook holds a bowl in her left hand towards the rising serpent, containing the tools and results of the bloodletting, a stingray spine and bloodstained bark paper. In addition to her patterned *huipil*, Lady Xook is festooned with a headdress, elaborate bracelets, earrings, and a necklace—likely made of jade. In the bowl are pieces of paper stained with her blood. She has likely burned the paper to allow the blood to ascend to the gods, and to bring about the vision serpent.

The Vision Serpent rises from a basket with bloodstained bark paper. It has two heads, one at each extreme. Some scholars suggest that the serpent on this lintel, and elsewhere, are depictions of an ancestral spirit or founder of the kingdom.

The identity of the figure emerging from the vision serpent’s jaws is ambiguous. He is armed with a shield, spear, and a war helmet. He, too, wears an elaborate headdress, a breastplate, and ear spools. The identity of this figure is debated; The inscription names the protagonist as Shield Jaguar II, but it may be the head of an ancestral figure, or a god, maybe Chaak, god of Rain.

Bloodletting was a common ritual among elites and it is one of the most frequent subjects in Maya art. A ruler or other elites (including women), would let blood to honor and feed the gods, at the dedication ceremony of a building, when children were born, or other occasions. Rulers needed to shed blood in order to maintain order in the cosmos. The ruler was believed to be a descendent of the gods, and the act of bloodletting was of critical importance in maintaining their power and order in the community. Bloodletting was also an act related to rebirth and rejuvenation. On Lintel 25, the effects of bloodletting are on display. The loss of blood and the burning of incense produced hallucinations, which were desired in certain ritual contexts to access other realms.

The ritual was conducted to commemorate the accession of Shield Jaguar II to the throne. The inscription is reversed, as if to be read in a mirror. This is not common and its true significance is not known.

Structure 23 has particular significance since this was the first building to be constructed after a gap of 150 years in the dynastic history of Yaxchilan. It seems that the series of lintels was intended to convey a special message of the re-foundation of the site. Itzaamnaj B’ahlam’s building programme throughout the city may have been an attempt to reinforce his lineage and his right to rulership.

There are also what appear to be two masks on the panel, one on the bottom left, facing left, and a second like falling from the face of the emerging warrior, facing right. I have found nothing about them, so if any one can shed some light, it would be welcome…

Apologies for inaccuracies and mistakes.