Scepter with Profile Figures. Culture: Maya. Dimensions: H. 13 5/8 x W. 7 1/2 x D. 5/8 in. (34.6 x 19.1 x 1.6 cm). Date: 7th-8th century.Artists transformed flint, a material abundant in the Maya Lowlands, into royal regalia. Representations of these blades appear in monumental sculptures, where rulers hold them mounted as scepters or ceremonial spears. The compositions here feature multiple profile heads with sloping foreheads and elaborate headdresses; the distinct frontal projections probably represent a "smoking celt," the hallmark of K'awiil, the Maya God of Lightning. Both the scepters and K'awiil's repeated faces may symbolize the multiple branches of lightning.Los artistas transformaban el pedernal, un material que abunda en las tierras bajas mayas, en ropajes reales. Se pueden observar representaciones de estos sílex en esculturas monumentales en las que los gobernantes los llevan como cetros o lanzas ceremoniales. Las obras aquí presentes muestran múltiples caras de perfil