Vintage Mayan Terracotta "Head of King Pacal of Palenque" Sculpture

This is a 1970s terracotta hand-sculpted head of the Mayan King Pacal of Palenque in good vintage condition with only one small chip. The sculpture was hand molded, sculpted, fired and glazed using traditional pre-Columbian style pottery techniques.

Measuring 14" tall, 8" in diameter, and weighing 4 lbs, this piece can really dominate a room and will make a fine addition to any art collection!

King Pacal, or Pacal the Great (c. 603-683 AD) was "Ajaw" of the Maya city-state of Palenque in the Late Classic period of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican chronology. Pacal reigned 68 years until his death, the longest reign of any sovereign monarch in the history of the Americas.

During his reign, Pacal was responsible for the construction or extension of some of Palenque's most notable surviving inscriptions and monumental architecture. Pacal is perhaps best known in popular culture for his depiction on the carved lid of his sarcophagus where he appears to be operating a flying machine, of which this sculpture is a representation.