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British Museum, London. 15th century
Splendid relic of the Aztecs, who rose from
squalid origins to power and riches in just 200
years, this double-headed rattlesnake serpent
was used as a ceremonial chest ornament that
may have been worn by a priest. It is incrusted
with scales of turquoise, a stone the Aztecs
imported from the outposts of their empire to
adorn some of their most beautiful possessions.
This piece is the work of a Mixtec jeweller, and
dates from the 15th century. Mixtec
craftsmanship was highly prized; an entire
enclave of artisans from this culture lived in the
Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. In mesoamerican
culture, serpents were very important religious
symbols, the shedding of their skin made them
a symbol of rebirth and renewal. One of the
main mesoamerican deities, Quetzalcoatl, was
represented as a feathered serpent.
Splendid relic of the Aztecs, who rose from
squalid origins to power and riches in just 200
years, this double-headed rattlesnake serpent
was used as a ceremonial chest ornament that
may have been worn by a priest. It is incrusted
with scales of turquoise, a stone the Aztecs
imported from the outposts of their empire to
adorn some of their most beautiful possessions.
This piece is the work of a Mixtec jeweller, and
dates from the 15th century. Mixtec
craftsmanship was highly prized; an entire
enclave of artisans from this culture lived in the
Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. In mesoamerican
culture, serpents were very important religious
symbols, the shedding of their skin made them
a symbol of rebirth and renewal. One of the
main mesoamerican deities, Quetzalcoatl, was
represented as a feathered serpent.
Size: 11"H x 19"W (28 x 48cm)
Item Type: wall plaque
Material: cultured marble
Item Type: wall plaque
Material: cultured marble