For the Maya their king was literally the central figure of the universe. He was regarded not only as a warrior and statesman, but also a divine being with superhuman attributes. Ceremonial pageantry and ostentation contributed to this perception, and the Maya were master showmen capable of dazzling the populace with dramatic presentations. One of the most important ceremonies was the bloodletting ritual. On this very powerful celt we may be witnessing a scene from such a ceremony. Against the backdrop of terraced pyramids, dancers whirled about to the frenzied music from dozens of musicians. The emotions of the crowd would already be near hysteria when the king and his wife appeared. He would be dressed in full ceremonial regalia with many Celts hanging from his belt. In full public view he would lacerate his penis and she her tongue. The blood loss, combined with days of fasting, abstinence and ritual steam baths, would cause them to go into a hallucinatory state. In this condition they would experience visions related to the other world and the spirits that inhabit them. This celt shows what is probably the king with his penis exposed following perforation, with drops of blood flowing from the wound. The figure crouching on his head may be one of the myriad deities conceived in a vision; or perhaps the king himself in an altered state of consciousness. As a semi-divine being the king supposedly functioned in both the real and non- real worlds. It is amazing that an artist using simple tools and cinnabar pigment for the deep red color could have left behind such a powerful record of a dramatic event in so small a space. Through the magic of art we are transported back in time to witness a ritual that has few, if any, parallels in the history of the world.