This piece is two 11x14 Canvas panels, which contains two segment from Copan structure 8n-11, or better known as the Sky Band Bench from the late classic period.

One canvas panels shows the representation of Maize, which often is represented as a young beautiful male, adorned with jewels. He is holding the glyph for “star” which has a scorpion tale at the end.

The glyph has a close association with Venus, so some scholars propose that this is showing Venus. It’s interesting to note that we know that our ancestors also saw the “Scorpio” constellation as a scorpion, like how we see it today.

The other shows the feminine character holding on to a rabbit who is also sitting on a crescent moon.

The Skyband Bench bears other carvings that are explicitly astronomical in content, including the Sun, representation of the day and night

The building in which the Skyband Bench is located is oriented to the horizon position of sunset on days of solar zenith passage.

The zenith was perfect measurement tool to track the growth patterns of Maize . At the latitude of Copán, the first zenith passage in late April marks the beginning of the corn planting period.

This the beauty of our ancestors math, science, astronomy express through art.