Copán, Stela F

Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in the Copán Department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. It was the capital city of a major Classic period kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries AD. The city was located in the extreme southeast of the Mesoamerican cultural region, on the frontier with the Isthmo-Colombian cultural region, and was almost surrounded by non-Maya peoples.

Copán was occupied for more than two thousand years, from the Early Preclassic period right through to the Postclassic. The city developed a distinctive sculptural style within the tradition of the lowland Maya, perhaps to emphasize the Maya ethnicity of the city's rulers.

The city has a historical record that spans the greater part of the Classic period. Copán was a powerful city ruling a vast kingdom within the southern Maya area. The city suffered a major political disaster in AD 738 when Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil (18 Rabbit), one of the greatest kings in Copán's dynastic history, was captured and executed by his former vassal, the king of Quiriguá. This unexpected defeat resulted in a 17-year hiatus at the city, during which time Copán may have been subject to Quiriguá in a reversal of fortunes.

(source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cop%C3%A1n)

Stela F is located in in the Plaza de las Estellas. It was built by Waxaklajuun Ub'aah K'awiil (18 Rabbit), in 721 CE. It stands on the east side of the Great Plaza. It is a masterpiece of gesture, fluid form, and finely sculpted detail. The king stands with forearms extended, cradling the serpent bar; his wrists sag and incline slightly forward to suggest the weight of his burden.

Rounded contours of muscle flesh out the thighs and calves of his legs, for the king is an athlete and a warrior, a hero of battle and of the deadly matches he plays in his ball court. The belt assemblage of wood and twisted matting or leather that binds his waist resembles the heavy belts used by ballplayers to strike the ball and protect their torsos from its impact. The ruler's feet, shod in high-backed sandals, are firmly braced to support the weight of his muscular body and the belt, headdress, and tall back-rack he wears.