Yaxchilan, Mexico. 755 A.D.

The maya vision serpent symbolizes the passage of ancestral spirits
and the gods of Xibalba (the maya underworld) into our world. In
states of ecstasy and usually following penis or tongue bloodletting,
particularly as graphically depicted at Yaxchilan, maya mobility
invoke the vision serpent. During special ceremonies, bloody papers
were burnt in a sacred bowl and from it, this great undulating
serpent rises and from its mouth emerges an ancestor or, occasionally,
a deity. The serpent itself then, is probably what one sees in the
clouds of smoke rising from the burning sacrifice, and cloud symbols
may flank the vision serpent’s body. The vision serpent can be the
vehicle by which ancestors or deities make themselves manifest to
humanity. This sculpture depicts a version with a single head and
personified blood scrolls attached to its tail.

Product SKU: P-016SP