68 in. X 72 in., acrylic, oil, enamel and kitty litter on canvas. For this painting, I took for my inspiration on of the relief panels along the side walls in the ball court at Chichen Itza. These panels are decorated with scenes from the ball game and its players. This scene shows the beheading of a player in center field witnessed by the players of both teams. The scene displays the sacred importance of the game. At one time it was believed that the losers were destined to die but new theories have been proposed by researchers. Some think that the captain of the winning team was sacrificed since his team's triumph made him a fitting offering to the gods. In the Maya creation story, the Popol Vuh, the divine twin heros play this same game for their lives against the lords of the underworld. The other work of art that I have alluded to in this piece is the Archaic Greek black figure vase of Achilles and Hector playing a game of draughts.
