The original portrait monument, of tuff (compacted volcanic ash), depicts 18 Rabbit, thirteenth ruler of Copán, who ruled from A.D. 695 to 738.  Its date glyphs indicate that it was erected in A.D. 731, and it is one of several at Copán which proclaim the importance of 18 Rabbit and the kingdom of Copán.  The emblem glyph for Copán can be identified from its main component, the zotz glyph, the head of a leaf-nosed bat.

Eighteen Rabbit wears a tall, braided headdress topped by a skull and ear flares.  His belt is adorned with three masks, Olive shells, and oral tinklers. His costume includes wristlets, anklets, and bird masks with beads around the knees.  He holds a serpent bar, symbol of kingship.  Many of the images of his headdress, clothing, and ornament are icons symbolic of the sun and association with death and rebirth.

Hieroglyphic writing appears on the sides and on the back of the original.  In addition to giving the date, it states that the kingdom of Copán ranks with three others -- Tikal, Palenque, and Calakmul -- as one of the four great states of the Mayan world.

Eighteen Rabbit’s reign ended when he was captured and sacrificed by Cauac Sky, ruler of Quirigua, a subordinate city to Copán, in 738.