Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Throne leg
Not on view
Delicately incised on the leg of a stone bench, this supernatural head, depicted in profile, spells the name of a mythical location. While its full reading is uncertain, the place-name corresponds to a stony waterhole. References to water include fins, aquatic plants, and some of the attributes of the rain god Chahk. A serrated V-shaped mark in the crown of the head indicates that this mythical location was split open, likely to give birth to deities.
Pata de trono
Palenque, México
ca. 784 d. C.
Piedra caliza
Esta pata de una banca de piedra, delicadamente grabada, muestra una cabeza sobrenatural de perfil con el nombre de un lugar mítico. Aunque este no puede leerse con certeza, corresponde a una poza de agua. Las referencias al líquido vital incluyen aletas, plantas acuáticas y algunos rasgos del dios Chahk. La marca en forma de V sobre la coronilla implica que esta localidad mitológica se abrió, probablemente, para que nacieran las deidades.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
