| Stela 3 (Figure 22, shown right) diverges more than any other Seibal sculpture from Southern Lowland visual norms. The panel composition of Stela 3, likely erected several years prior to the 10.3.0.0.0 period-ending, is more akin to the stelae of Oxk'intok in the Northern Lowlands than to any Southern Lowland sculpture. It also incorporates non-Classic square-cartouched glyphs and Tlaloc iconography. However, numerous other details of the carving, which accord with the earlier sculpture of Seibal as well as the reference to Seibal's patron deity-pair at the end of the brief hieroglyphic inscription, suggest that local precedent was not completely denied in the production of Stela 3. At the same time, the lack of any scrollwork and resultant large expanses of negative space, the novel panel composition, and the relatively crude textual presentation suggest expressing membership among 'Maya' polities was not a primary objective of the commission. Nor was the presentation of a specific, dominant K'uhul Ajaw, as there is no mention of the ruler-patron in the text. Instead, it seems as if the patron and sculptor of Stela 3 strove to present an exotic image, adding to the 'cosmopolitan' character of Seibal's sculptural corpus. This may have been done to address a 'non-Classic' audience through conventions of their visual discourse, and/or to display to Maya visitors the extensive, 'international' connections of Seibal's king. |
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