Censer Lid with Portrait of a King: One of 12 ceramic lids to a censer, or incense burner, that features portraits of Copan kings. Dated to circa 695 CE, it originally sat atop a large clay vessel used for burning incense. (27" tall x 16" wide x 15" diameter) Photo courtesy: Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History. |
The Margarita Panel, a grand, modeled-stucco building panel, measures almost 9 feet high by 12 feet wide. Discovered by a Penn Museum excavation team in the 1990s, it features the emblematic name of Copan's royal founder, K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo'. The king's name is shown as two entwined birds: a quetzal bird (k'uk') and scarlet macaw (mo'), with crest elements that spell the initial part of the name yax meaning 'first' or 'green.' Carved around 450 CE it is in remarkable condition buried deep within the Copan Acropolis. MAYA 2012 features a replica of this monumental piece in its full-color splendor. Photo courtesy: Early Copan Acropolis Project, Penn Museum. |
