Mayan art / Teotihuacan relief of Quetzalpapalotl or Spear thrower owl. Pre-Aztec, Pre-Columbian art replica

Quetzalpapalotl or Spear thower Owl

Dimensions :-
Total height of fragment with stand - 20 cm / 7-3/4 inches
Stand length - 12 cm / 4-3/4 inches
Stand width - 5 cm / 2 inches



On offer here is a replica of one of my 2016 carvings of Quetzalpapalotl or the so called 'Spear thrower owl'. Made of a limestone and quartzite composition stone it has an earthy coloration and is mounted upon an easily removable, felt based stand.

The image chosen for this carving was originally found in the 1960's during excavations at the early classic Maya city of Teotihuacan. This vast city of pyramids, temples and domestic dwellings revealed a very special building complex that resembled a palace with ornately carved stone decorations. Where it was found adjacent to the pyramid of the moon has been dubbed the 'butterfly room'.

The image on the carving has been interpreted as a cross between an owl and a butterfly which would identify it as Quetzalpapalotl - a deity worshiped during the early classic Maya period - 250-900 C.E

Alternatively it has been debated that it is to be known as 'Spear thrower owl' a name given by archaeologists to describe one of the early kings of the city who in turn influenced the surrounding, emerging Maya culture.
At the city of Tikal a similar image has been noted to refer to a past king or deity. Spear thrower owl the deity has been found to be associated with war. This conclusion is based upon the discovery of another title 'owl who strikes first'.

I chose this image to carve because I liked the symbolism and the geometric patterns that are are a feature of early Mayan art.
The original carvings on the walls offer a multitude of variations of the same subject shown in profile and full frontal views. Obsidian discs would have once been affixed to the hollows of the eyes to enliven the image as evidence of surviving intact examples were located elsewhere in the palace.