The Women of Uhx Te'K'uh ' K'uh in Palenque Court. A New Approach through Their Representations

Ix Tz'akb'u Ajaw and Ix Kinuuw Mat were two women from the city of Uhx Te'K'uh ' K'uh who, according to textual references, played a central role in relations between their town of origin and the Palenque court in the 7th century CE. However, recorded information is not always sufficient to understand the functions of these historical figures in the court. But art, as a means of cultural expression, can offer an important source of complementary information on the worldview, identity and roles of the figures represented. In this paper we review the biographies of these ladies in relation to the results of a detailed analysis of their portraits from a gender perspective. This allows us to approach their histories in a new way and to reflect on the role they played in the socio-political context they lived within.