This is an illustration I did for a short pseudo-historical fantasy story I completed in late August of 2019, which I have titled Dribble Like Me. It’s a tale of international diplomacy gone haywire through cultural misunderstanding and microaggressions, and the only resolution is a ball game. As in, an ancient Mesoamerican-style ball game where the loser must be put to death!
The female character positioned to the left of this composition is Neith-Ka, the princess of Khamit (based on ancient Egypt), who is visiting the citystate of Mutul in the overseas country of Mayab (based on the pre-Columbian Maya, of course). The two Mayaban men to the right are her opponents in the game, and they’re wearing helmets made from the hair of a rainforest-dwelling bison endemic to their land. Neith-Ka herself has a headwrap to protect her braids during the game.