 |
WHO'S WHO IN THE CLASSIC MAYA WORLD Peter Mathews |
|
| K'inich Kan B'alam II King of Palenque (born AD 635, ruled AD 684-702) | PAL 012 | |
| List of Monuments Commissioned: | ||
| Some of the most famous of all Maya sculptures were commissioned by K'inich Kan B'alam II: the sanctuary tablets of the Group of the Cross (the Tablets of the Sun, Cross, and Foliated Cross). Apart from the rest of the sculptural program of these three beautiful temples, K'inich Kan B'alam II was also responsible for the sanctuary tablets of Temples XIV and XVII, and the Death's Head monument, found by Maudslay between the Temple of the Foliated Cross and Temple XVII. Stela 1 of Palenque, a life-sized sculpture carved in the round, was found on the upper front slope of the pyramid of the Cross. It almost represents a portrait of K'inich Kan B'alam II, and was probably commissioned by him to celebrate the period-ending date 9.13.0.0.0 (AD 692). It is the only carved example of a stela at Palenque. Another K'inich Kan B'alam II 'monument'—an incised jade pectoral bead—was recovered from the sacred cenote of Chich'en Itza. Whether it was sent to Chich'en Itza by K'inich Kan B'alam II (or even taken by him in pilgrimage) or whether it was thrown into the cenote after his death is not known. It should also be noted that K'inich Kan B'alam II finished the sculptures of the Temple of the Inscriptions, begun by his father K'inich Janab' Pakal I. He inserted the record of his accession at the end of the West Tablet of the Temple of the Inscriptions, and he appears to have been responsible for much of the modelled stucco that adorns the front façade of the temple. The end piers contain a lengthy text in which he is mentioned at least twice, and the four inner piers portray him in the arms of his parents (Piers C and D), his earlier namesake K'an B'alam I (Pier E), and the founder of Palenque's royal line K'uk' B'alam I (Pier B). It is moot as to whether K'inich Kan B'alam II commissioned these sculptures. In the strict sense he did not, but he did insert himself (rather brazenly, it seems) within his father's sculptural program. | ||
Previous Page | Introductory Page
Text links to all pages at this site are available at the FAMSI INDEX