---
title: Presentation of Captives to a Maya Ruler
author: FA2010
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/758/presentation-of-captives-to-a-maya-ruler/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
updated: 2026-03-24
---

# Presentation of Captives to a Maya Ruler

_Authored by FA2010_

## Image File

[![Presentation of Captives to a Maya Ruler](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/758.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/758.jpg)

## Image Caption

This carved limestone relief, dated 23 August 783 CE, depicts three scribes being presented as prisoners to a [Maya](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Maya/) ruler. The captives are identified as scribes by the stick-bundle the first one holds (the traditional implements of scribes) and by their headdresses. Scribes were highly prized as prisoners as they were the ones who recorded the great deeds of the ruler. When a ruler was defeated the fingers of his scribes were broken. The fact that the piece is signed by the artist suggests the importance of the event depicted, the status of the artist, or both, as Maya art is rarely signed. The relief is presently in the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.

## Cite This Work

### APA
FA2010. (2012, July 08). Presentation of Captives to a Maya Ruler. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/758/presentation-of-captives-to-a-maya-ruler/>
### Chicago
FA2010. "Presentation of Captives to a Maya Ruler." *World History Encyclopedia*, July 08, 2012. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/758/presentation-of-captives-to-a-maya-ruler/>.
### MLA
FA2010. "Presentation of Captives to a Maya Ruler." *World History Encyclopedia*, 08 Jul 2012, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/758/presentation-of-captives-to-a-maya-ruler/>.

## License & Copyright

[Original image](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_society) by [**FA2010**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_society). Submitted by [Joshua J. Mark](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/JPryst/ "User Page: Joshua J. Mark"), published on 08 July 2012. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon a work even for commercial reasons, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.