The Murals of Bonampak'

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Convention of Noblemen

The city of Bonampak' lay to the west of the Usumacinta River, which today forms the westernmost border between Chiapas State, Mexico, and Guatemala. Its most famous monument is a house commemorating several historic events with the largest and most complete set of painted murals of ancient Mesoamerica preserved today. The inner walls of the house's three rooms, up to their arched ceilings, were entirely painted with glyphs and narrative events, and even the entrances were carved with reliefs of constellation figures. Two major events are recorded in Room 1, the first being the contemporary king of the nearby city Yaxchilan, Itzamnaaj B'alam III, presiding over the accession of the new king at Bonampak'. This mural features eight of the fourteen nobles to whom the young king was formally presented, toward the end of the year 790 AD.

National Museum of Anthropology and History


Encounter

The present images are from the full replica of the Bonampak' murals at the National Museum of Anthropology and History in Mexico City. The second event being portrayed in Room 1 is the dedication of the house itself, with the pageantry of dancers and musicians. Two of the dancers appear in this image, and their ornate headdresses of quetzal feathers stand out in this image. Compare this to the one immediately below and you can see the overlap with the musician holding rattles.

National Museum of Anthropology and History


Procession

Moisture and time wore down much of the original paint, but infrared photography and digital reconstruction has fortunately reproduced much of the original brilliance of these painted walls. This image from the lower register of Room 1 shows how the painting really works around wall corners to tell the full story. These are musicians and dancers who have come for the ceremonial building dedication.

National Museum of Anthropology and History


Battle Scene

Bonampak' was an ally of the larger capital Yaxchilan to its north, but Bonampak' also conducted its own military campaigns. Room 2 of the Bonampak' house tells of a great battle that its army waged against a rival city, all in spectacular garb. The Maya kings themselves participated in the battles, for military prowess was a requisite for royal authority. At the right end of this image, the Bonampak' king Yajaw Chan Muwaan grabs the hair of a captive - a sign of conquest. It is also important to note that Venus had just ascended as Morning Star on the day of the battle, a reminder of the significance of celestial events in the determination of political activity.

National Museum of Anthropology and History


Prisoners of War

On the ceiling of Room 2, toward the north side which lay over the entrance, the prisoners of war from the preceding battle are subjected to torturous mutilation. The warriors stand over their captives as the latter kneel, grimacing after their fingernails were ripped out to leave bleeding fingertips exposed. This is one of the most unsettling images of violence in Mesoamerican art. Click on the thumbnail for the enlargement at your own risk.

National Museum of Anthropology and History


Ceremonial Dance

Room 3 returns to a more festive occasion, though still in the context of the captive warriors. They are prepared for human sacrifice, the ceremony accompanied with dancers upon a ceremonial platform. Three dancers in this image wear robes with long flaps, held aloft in their whirling dance. Their large headdresses bear quetzal feathers and small figures at the front, resembling small effigies.

National Museum of Anthropology and History


Bloodletting Ritual

In the upper register of the east wall in Room 3, seated noblewomen are ritually drawing blood from their tongues. Bloodletting among the Maya nobility was a sacred offering to the gods, giving of the spiritual energy imbued in their noble blood. Blood was almost always drawn from the tongue, lips, and genitals because these three organs could heal relatively quickly. The bloodletting in this scene accompanies the sacrifice and dance ceremonies taking place in the Room 3 murals.

National Museum of Anthropology and History