Mural Fragment

This mural fragment shows a richly dressed Teotihuacan nobleman speaking as he carries an incense bag in his right hand. The large scroll coming from his mouth does not contain words, but instead is filled with shell and floral motifs. Directly in front of the nobleman is the small remnant of a glyph, perhaps his title or name. The palette, limited to a range of reds and pinks, suggests that the mural was made during the last years of Teotihuacan's power. Murals decorated the walls of the city's large apartment compounds; this one was once part of a larger room with many very similarly dressed figures, yet all with distinct name glyphs. Their processional arrangement on the compound's lower walls may have guided visitors and residents to a small shrine.