Yaxchilan Lintel 24

Lintel 24 is the designation given by modern archae-

ologists to an ancient Maya limestone carving from
Yaxchilan, in modern Chiapas, Mexico. The lintel dates
to about 725 CE, placing it within the Maya Late Classic
period. The text of Maya hieroglyphics indicates that the
scene depicted is a bloodletting ritual that took place on
5 Eb 15 Mac, 709 CE. The ruler, Shield Jaguar, holds a
torch while his consort, Lady Xoc, pulls a rope studded
with what are now believed to be obsidian shards through
her tongue in order to conjure a vision serpent.

1 Discovery and removal

Lintel 24 was found in its original context alongside Lin-
tels 25 and 26 in Structure 23 of Yaxchilan. Alfred
Maudslay had the lintel cut from the ceiling of a side en-
trance in 1882 and shipped to Great Britain where it re-
mains today in the British Museum of London. Lintel 25
made the journey in 1883. Lintel 26 was discovered in
1897 by Teobert Maler. It was removed to the Museo
Nacional de Antropologa e Historia in 1964. Structure
33 has since collapsed.

Drawing by Dsir Charnay (1885)

2 Inscriptions
The text consists of two sentences, one relating to Shield
Jaguar, the other to his wife. The rst three glyphs record
the date and the event, he is letting blood, with addi-
tional glyphs apparently specifying the particular ritual
context. Shield Jaguars name begins at E2b, with a title
telling us he was a 4-Katun ahpo--- that he had lived
into his fourth katun, at the time of the event. His per-
sonal name consists of a shield sitting atop a jaguar head.
The name phrase concludes by naming him the captor of
Ah-Ahaual and a blood lord of Yaxchilan. The actions
of the woman are recorded in the smaller frame behind
Shield Jaguar The last three glyphs record her name
phrase. [1]
3 Style
The lintel is done in high relief style with the background
deeply recessed. All three were apparently commissioned
by Lady Xoc for the doorways of Structure 23. The lin-
tels show the elaborate costumes of the king and queen
with remarkable detail and with an uncharacteristic lack
of abstraction. These lintels are considered by some to be
the pinnacle of Mayan Art.[2] We are able to study the de-
tail of Mayan weaving as depicted in these carvings, and
see the pearls woven into the fabric. Subtle dierences in
the three lintels suggest that the compositions were com-
pleted by two or three dierent artists. Each of the works
is signed, indicating that the production of such works
was regarded as a highly specialized skill rather than a
trade.
4 The King
Shield Jaguar was a central gure in directing the course
of Yaxchilan. Shield Jaguar ascended to power in AD
681 and died in AD 742. There are numerous docu-
mented references to him on artifacts at the end of Stage
V at Yaxchilan. In Lintel 24, he is depicted holding a
torch above his rst wife, Lady Xoc. The king is wearing
his hair back with quetzal feathers indicating that he will
also let blood in this ceremony. Attached to his head band
is what appears to be a representation of the Jester Mask.
The jester mask is considered analogous to the glyph for

1
2 9
kingship, ajaw, and is named so for the vegetation often
depicted coming from the crown of it. Since the rest of
the costume is depicted without much abstraction, it is
suggested that Maya kings may have literally attached a
shrunken head to their head band as a representation of
power. He is shown wearing a pectoral with a representa-
tion of the sun god depicted. It is strung from a jade bead
necklace that is counterbalanced by a long strand of jade
beads and what are probably carved shells going down his
back. The artist was careful to show such minute details
as the strings that are tied to hold on the wrist cus worn
by both royals, and the pattern woven on Shield Jaguars
beautiful cape.
5 The Queen
Detail of Lady Xoc
Lady Xoc is one of the most prominent and probably po-
litically powerful women in the Maya civilization. Lady
Xoc is shown here performing an important royal rite of
blood letting. By pulling the rope studded with obsid-
ian shards through her tongue, she causes blood to drip
onto paper strips held in a woven basket to be burned as
depicted on Lintel 25. Blood scrolls can be seen on her
face. The queen also wears an elaborate headdress. There
are ower tassels on the main part of the head band and
a mosaic depiction of Tlaloc sprouting quetzal feathers.
Her elaborately carved huipil is trimmed with fringe and
pearls. Her necklace also appears to have a pectoral de-
REFERENCES
piction of the sun god. It is probably made of shell or jade
plaques, as are her wrist cus.
6 Associated tombs
Recent excavations have unearthed what is thought to be
the tombs of Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc within Structure
23. Discovered in association with the female burial at-
tributed to Lady Xoc were 146 prismatic obsidian blades,
each with two lateral notches on the edges. These were lo-
cated in what is known as Element 21 in Room 1 of Struc-
ture 23 at Yaxchilan. Due to the association with Lady
Xocs burial in Room 2, these have been interpreted as
being depicted on Lintel 24. The original interpretation
of the studded rope was that there were thorns attached,
but this new evidence in context has caused the interpreta-
tion to shift. We now know that it was a rope studded with
obsidian blades used in the ritual, and may have the very
physical shards depicted themselves. Lady Xocs burial is
known as Tomb 3. Shield Jaguars remains lay not far, in
Room 3. This is referred to as Tomb 2. Elaborate grave
goods were found in association with both burials.
7 See also
Copn Bench Panel
Fenton Vase
8 Notes
[1] Based on translation in Schele, Linda, and Mary E. Miller.
The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art. Fort
Worth: Kimbell Art Museum, 1986, p. 187.
[2] Miller, p. 18, cites Sylvanus G. Morley, who in his Ancient
Maya (1946) considered this to be the most beautiful ex-
ample of sculptured stone door lintel.
9 References
Miller, Mary Ellen (1999). Maya
Art and Architecture. London
and New York: Thames & Hud-
son. ISBN 0-500-20327-X. OCLC
41659173.
Miller, Mary; Simon Martin
(2004). Courtly Art of the Ancient
Maya. London: Thames & Hud-
son. ISBN 0-500-05129-1. OCLC
54799516.
Schele, Linda; Mary Ellen Miller
(1992) [1986]. Blood of Kings:
 3

Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art.

Justin Kerr (photographer) (2nd pa-
perback ed., reprint with correc-
tions ed.). New York: George
Braziller. ISBN 0-8076-1278-2.
OCLC 41441466.
Tate, Carolyn E. (1992). Yaxchi-
lan: The Design of a Maya Cere-
monial City. Austin: University of
Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-77041-3.
OCLC 23464300.
4 10 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

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10.1 Text
Yaxchilan Lintel 24 Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaxchilan_Lintel_24?oldid=745671431 Contributors: Infrogmation, Ham II,
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