W0975: Quirigua: Zoomorfo P – Turtle Mouth
This image highlights the monster mouth in which the ruler rests on Zoomorpho P at Quirigua. Unlike other representations, where the mouth looks like that of a serpent like beast with curling fangs, in this representation the mouth looks like that of a turtle and the overall shape of the altar is also familiar to that of a turtle. The sacred turtle is thought to represent the earth, therefore this ties in with the general concept of the “Earth Monster” and the sacred cave that ancient Mesoamerican cultures believed the first gods to have been born from (click here to read the full article on the Zoomorphs of Quirigua).
