In the first room at Bonampak, the painted murals portray a courtly scene with a ceremony attended by the king, Chan Muwan, and his wife. A child is presented to the gathered nobles by a high dignitary. Scholars have proposed that the meaning of the scene was the presentation of the royal heir to the nobility of Bonampak. However, others point out that there is no mention of this event on the text that runs along the east, south and west walls, which, by contrast, mention the date in which the building was dedicated, AD 790.
The scene develops over two levels or registers:
- Upper register: The higher level and the vault above it portray a series of giant masks connected to sky deities and stars. The central scene is represented just below it. From a higher throne on the west wall the royal couple assists with the ceremony. Fourteen high dignitaries and nobles, dressed in white cloaks, stand in front of another noble carrying a child, the possible presentation of the royal heir. On the north wall three dignitaries, one of which is the king, are dressing for the ceremony with elegant clothes, jaguar pelts and feathered headdresses.
- Lower register: The lower register of Room 1 portrays a series of standing figures. Some of them wear masks; others are musicians playing gourd rattles, wooden drums, and trumpets.