General Aztecs Maya Tocuaro Kids Contact 2 Apr 2020/11 Rain
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Welcome
Feathers in Aztec and Maya headdresses
‘Moctezuma’s Headdress’ - update
Chimalli or shield: defensive weapon par excellence Click the flag for a Spanish translation
Obsidian monkey jar
Slave’s collar
Mexico community education Click the flag for a Spanish translation
Coatlicue
‘Headdress of Cuauhtémoc’ Click the flag for a Spanish translation
Featherwork shield
Genuine or fake? Click the flag for a Spanish translation
Throne
Xicolli
‘Birthing Figure’
Stone jaguar’s head
Chocolate whisk
Pine torch
See and Be Seen: (‘Smoking’) Mirrors
Study the... FAMILY CHEST
Personified knives Click the flag for a Spanish translation
Ancient metate at the V&A
Clay stamps
Atlatl
Aztec pottery
Carrying frame
Molcajete
Study the... PETATE
Study the... DIGGING STICK
Study the... HEARTH
Aztec high-chair?
Baby basket
Maquahuitl
Uictli
Tzictli (part 1)
Tzictli (part 2)
The Chewing Gum Tree
Chewing Gum used for other Purposes
Chimalli
Teponaztli
Metate
A family of deities?
‘U’-tube
Aztec microphone?
‘Host’ figurines
Pre-Hispanic marbles, or jacks?

Artefacts in the Spotlight

Whole Archive at a Glance
Xiuhmolpilli
‘Personified’ flint knife
Pottery stamp
Dancing monkey
Aztec pitchers
Water monster plaque
Xipe Totec warrior
Aztec fertility goddess
Toad
Deified warrior
Atlatl
Huehueteotl
Altar of nocturnal animals
Mictlantecuhtli
Chacmool
Detail from turquoise disk
Quetzalcóatl-Ehécatl
Urn with image of Mictlantecuhtli
Huaxtec female deities
Cihuateotl
Solar disc
Gold ingot
Man with cacao pod
Head with lip-plug
Eagle cuauhxicalli
Greenstone Huitzilopochtli
Turquoise Mask
Censer
Stone cactus fragment
Gold pendant
Jaguar warrior sculpture
Cactus boundary marker
Teponaztli
Codex Durán
Head of an Eagle Warrior
Teocalli of sacred warfare
Statue of Xiuhtecuhtli
Greenstone heart
Rattlesnake fragment
Grasshopper
Gold disc
Feathered serpent ‘1-Reed’
Bundle of years (side view)
4-hole ceramic flute
Greenstone beads
Ear-spools
Teotihuacán shell trumpet
Macehualli (commoner)
Pato loco
Squash (pumpkin) with its flower
Head of Quetzalcóatl, Feathered Serpent
Head of a youth
Ballgame offering
Funeral casket
Chalchihuitl glyph
Dedication stone from the Templo Mayor
Reproduction chalice cover
Fire serpent
Wind god mirror
Staghorn sceptre
Miniature chac mool
Stone teponaztli sculpture
Stone bust of Quetzalcóatl
Skull goblets
Stone altar of skulls
Skull and crossbones dish
Woman with child
Giant shell sculpture
Olmec altar with two small human figures
Eagle and Jaguar ‘talking’
Chicahuaztli
Altar with the date 10 Rabbit
Head of a feathered serpent
Hourglass-shaped goblets
Fragment of a stone frieze
Woman in festive attire with a child
Funerary urn with lid
Coiled Fire Serpent
Altar of the warriors
Gold objects from the Templo Mayor
Maya Stone Lintel
Wooden ceremonial shield with inlay
Maya jadeite plaque
Incense burner with Chicomecoatl
Large stone serpent head
Coiled rattlesnake
Turquoise mosaic helmet
Seated Mictlantecuhtli figure
Mixtec jug with butterfly
Golden eagle bas relief
Turquoise mosaic animal head
Jaguar-head pendant
Two-toned drum (teponaztli)
Codex Moctezuma
Enconchado series 1
Coyote
Omichicahuaztli
Cihuatéotl (2)
Codex Mendoza
Rabbit
Pipes in the form of ducks
Seated couple
Eagle vessel fragment with date 2 Reed
Screen with scenes from the conquest of Mexico - Aztec musicians and dancers in a canoe
Fish
Teponaztli in Paris
Huaxtec shell pendant
Quartz rabbit pendant
Head of unidentified goddess
Twins
Huehueteotl (Olmec)
Cihuateotl (Central Veracruz)
Jaguar nahual
Pottery figure of a drummer
Bat incense burner
Decapitated ballplayer
Sky throne figure
Jadeite figurine of an eagle warrior
Stylised human head
Manuscript tracing of a sculpture
Codex Zouche-Nuttall or Codex Tonindeyé
Serpent figure
Chicomecóatl
Lizard
Codex Cozcatzin - Moctezuma’s heirs
Model ballcourt
9-link gold necklace
Almena
Skull from the skull rack tzompantli
Obsidian mirror
Head of the god Xochipilli

Artefact of the Week

Whole Archive at a Glance
Cholula Temple
Snake Sculpture
Cuauhxicalli
Featherwork Shield
Xipe Totec mask
Coyolxauhqui
Quetzalcóatl mask
Rattlesnake
Ometecuhtli
Twin-headed snake
Quetzalcóatl/Venus
Tezcatlipoca mask
Stone statues
Incense burner
Feathered Serpent Relief
Dancers’ whistles
Tonatiuh relief
Turquoise encrusted shield
‘Red Temple’ excavation
Conch shell adornment
Eagle bowl
Domestic pottery
Palace ruins
Pottery dish
Cocoa vessel
Macaw ocarina
Small Aztec flutes
Pottery stamps
Tongue drum
Spear throwers
Mixtec gold pectoral
Gold jewellery
Colonial chalice cover
Household figures
Model temple
Eagle-head pipe
Xipe Totec stone figure
Xiuhtecuhtli
Tonatiuh and ‘movement’
Xochipilli or Xochiquetzal
Xiuhcóatl at Tenayuca
Head of Xochiquetzal
Ozomatli (monkey)
Coyolxauhqui
Coatlicue (1)
Coatlicue (2)
Snake wall, Templo Mayor
Small pottery idol
Pottery dishes
More Aztec pottery
Spear throwers (back)
Mixtec gold sun pendant
Detail of Moctezuma’s headdress
Xipe Totec head
Xochiquetzal
Mictlancíhuatl
Xolotl
Wind god/porter
Small pottery idol
Seated figure
Household Gods
Collapsed skullrack

Spear throwers

Aztec spear throwers

Courtesy of the Werner-Forman Archive

Among the most important pieces of the Aztec warrior’s equipment was his Atlatl or spear thrower. The two shown here are carved with scenes involving gods, warriors and sacrifice, and are covered in gold. Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico Luigi Pigorini, Rome

The Werner-Forman Archive