Eagle reliefs

Each of these exquisitely carved panels depicts an eagle devouring a human heart. They are nearly identical and may originally have formed part of a larger composition adorning the facade of a temple or other sacred building. The artists employed a highly refined carving technique to suggest multiple levels, maximizing the effects of light and shadow. Traces of paint, including Maya blue, and intervening layers of plaster indicate that the panels were repainted several times, a testament to their importance. Representing worldly and spiritual power, as well as the sun, eagles loom large in myth and imagery throughout ancient Mesoamerica. Sacrificial offerings, such as blood and hearts, were believed necessary to guarantee the sun’s emergence from the dark underworld each morning and the continuation of life itself.