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A painting executed in black paint on a flowstone cave fan was presented to the public by La Ruta Maya Foundation as part of the exhibition THE WORLD OF THE MAYAN ARTIST, at the “Antiguo Colegio de la Compañía de Jesús” in Antigua Guatemala.

The flowstone fan stands out for having a scene with two characters performing a period-ending ritual, as indicated by a short hieroglyphic text with the Calendar Round date 9 Ajaw 3 Muwan.

This piece was previously exhibited at the “Museo Príncipe Maya” in Coban, Alta Verapaz, which closed its doors in 2011. Since the museum’s collection was already registered at the Registry of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture, the Foundation received it with the commitment to keep this piece -and the rest of the collection- available to the public, to researchers and students.

To display it properly, a fiberglass base was built according to its undulating shape. This base allows the piece, of 0.5 cm thick, to rest on a support that ensures its safety and exhibition. With this support, a stainless steel base was also made to hold the piece with its base.

The flowstone fan was placed upside down and protected with plastic on the back. The fiberglass mixture was prepared and carefully placed on the back of the piece to let it dry. The fiberglass base was polished and cut according to the contour of the fan, to ensure a smart exposure on top of the steel base.

Cultural Property Registration No. 16.2.5.998
Maya lowlands, probably around Cancuén
Early Classic Period (ca. 426 AD)