Deity Head

Originally forming the head of a central figure in a solar cartouche on an elaborate mosaic façade, this sculpture represents the Sun God wearing a centipede headdress. The sculptor created a rounded face out of the greenish volcanic tuff favored by sculptors at Copán, one of the great centers in the southeastern Maya world. Two prominent squared eyes with crossed pupils mark the visage as that of a deity. Sculpted in relief in the forehead, partially hidden by the headdress, is a circular hieroglyphic sign for k’in, “sun, day," marking this particular deity as K’inich Ajaw, the personification of the daytime sun. The large, single shark-like incisor that protrudes from the upper jaw emphasizes the sun’s aquatic associations as it rises from the watery underworld. A convention in Maya art for the multiplicity of the sun’s rays, the centipede forms the headdress (now partially damaged) that accompanies rounded earflares. The solar cartouche originally contained representations of feathered rattles in its corners, underscoring the concept of solar radiation with luxurious sights, textures, and sounds.