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4.8: Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc

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    Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc

    38.png

    Artist: Unknown
    Medium: Limestone relief
    Art Historical Time Period: Maya (c. 8th century)

    Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc are depicted in a series of Mayan reliefs from Yaxchilan, a city in present-day Mexico. Shield Jaguar was a prominent ruler, and Lady Xoc was his wife, known for her influential role in courtly and religious life.

    The reliefs of Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc are important to their culture as they illustrate the political and ceremonial roles of Mayan royalty. One famous relief shows Lady Xoc performing a bloodletting ritual, a practice believed to communicate with the gods and ancestors. These artworks are also important to world culture as they provide insights into the social and religious practices of the Maya. Understanding the reliefs of Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc helps us appreciate the cultural significance of royal iconography and the ways in which it conveys power and devotion.

    Vocabulary

    • Bloodletting The practice of drawing blood from the body, often for medical or ritual purposes

    Student Authors

    • Gabriela Cortez ’23 and Oscar Jimenez ’25

    References and Image Attribution

    • Martin, Simon, and Nikolai Grube. Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens: Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya. Thames & Hudson, 2008.

    • Schele, Linda, and Mary Ellen Miller. The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art. George Braziller, 1986.

     

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    4.8: Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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