2-604-967 - © CM Dixon/Heritage Images

Stone bust of the Maize God, Maya, Copán, Honduras, Late Classic period, c600-c800. This sculpture is one of eight that were once set on the cornice of Structure 22, comissioned by Waxaklajuun Ub'aah K'awiil (also known as 18-Rabbit), the thirteenth ruler of Copán. It was built in 715 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of his accession to the throne. The Maize God, with his vibrant, youthful features, represents the Maya ideal of beauty, and features prominently in Maya art during the Classic period (200 BC - AD 900). From the British Museum's collection.