Maya limestone relief, ca. AD 600-900, Yaxchilan, Mexico. The scene represents a bloodletting ritual

Maya limestone relief, ca. AD 600-900, Yaxchilan, Mexico.

The scene represents a bloodletting ritual performed by the king of Yaxchilán, Shield Jaguar the Great (681-742), and his wife, Lady K'ab'al Xook (Itzamnaaj Bahlen III). The king holds a flaming torch over his wife, who is pulling a thorny rope through her tongue. Scrolls of blood can be seen around her mouth. The first two glyphs in the text at the top of the lintel indicate the event and the date on which it took place, 24 October, AD 709 (5 Eb, 15 Mak in the maya calendar). The lintel has traces of Maya blue, turquoise and red pigment. - britishmuseum.org