PREFACE
Reading edition
The writer has undertaken the present study of Mexican Turquois Mosaics in honor of the approaching opening to the public of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, the only institution devoted exclusively to the study of the aboriginal American peoples ever established; and the proximate International Congress of Americanists to be held at Rio de Janeiro this summer. Owing to lack of time it has been impossible to obtain new photographic illustrations of all the specimens of mosaic-work in European museums, but the author desires to express his thanks to T. A. Joyce, Esq., for his courtesy in furnishing photographs of the examples in the British Museum. To Dr. Franz Heger, of the State Natural History Museum, Vienna, we are under deep obligations for photographs and description of the interesting Xolotl figure preserved in that Museum. Dr. S. K. Lothrop has kindly had photographs made of the objects of this class in the Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum in Rome, and has made certain valuable observations concerning them. To Drs. A. M. Tozzer and H. J. Spinden special acknowledgment is due for their generous permission to illustrate the mosaics from Chichen Itza, thus anticipating their own description of the objects in the work now being prepared regarding one of the most important discoveries ever made in ancient America. The fine drawings are from the pen of William Baake, and the beautiful plates represent the best efforts of the Heliotype Company. Finally must be acknowledged the characteristic generosity of one of the trustees of the Museum, James B. Ford, Esq., who has made it possible for us to publish this paper, and to whom the Museum is indebted for its acquisition of the precious collection of Mexican mosaics which are now described for the first time.
CONTENTS
PAGE
Preface ix
Introduction 1
Earliest Historical Accounts of Turquois Mosaic in Mexico 3
The Grijalva Expedition, 1518 3
Loot obtained by Cortés, 1519-1525 8
Tribute of Mosaic Paid to the Aztec Rulers 22
Source of Turquois 27
The Aztec Lapidaries and Their Work 29
Objects Decorated with Mosaic 40
Existing Specimens of Mosaic 47
Minor Examples 48
Chichen Itza Specimens 55
Major Examples 59
Helmet 60
Masks 60
Skull Masks 67
Shields 68
Ear-plug 79
Animal Figures 80
God Figure 82
Knife Handles 82
Human Femur Musical Instrument 84
Conclusion 86
Notes 92
List of Works Describing Mexican Mosaics 103
ILLUSTRATIONS
Plates
PAGE
I. Wooden shield with turquois mosaic decoration Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York Frontispiece
II. Stone idol with mosaic decoration National Museum, Mexico 22
III. a, Wooden staff with turquois mosaic decoration, from Sacred cenote, ruins of Chichen Itza, Yucatan Peabody Museum, Cambridge
b, Wooden rattle with turquois mosaic decoration, from Sacred cenote, ruins of Chichen Itza, Yucatan Peabody Museum, Cambridge 22
IV. Wooden helmet with mosaic decoration British Museum, London 24
V. Wooden mask with turquois mosaic decoration British Museum, London 26
VI. Wooden mask with turquois mosaic decoration British Museum, London 28
VII. Wooden mask with turquois mosaic decoration Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum, Rome 30
VIII. Wooden mask with turquois mosaic decoration Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum, Rome 32
IX. Wooden mask with turquois mosaic decoration Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 34
X. Wooden mask with turquois mosaic decoration Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 36
XI. Wooden mask (fragment) with turquois mosaic decoration Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 38
XII. Wooden mask (fragment) with turquois mosaic decoration Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 40
XIII. Wooden mask with mosaic decoration Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 42
XIV. Wooden mask with mosaic decoration Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 44
XV. Wooden mask (fragment) with mosaic decoration Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 46
XVI. Wooden mask formerly covered with mosaic decoration Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 48
XVII. Wooden mask with turquois mosaic decoration, from Honduras Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 50
XVIII. Skull mask with mosaic decoration Ethnographical Museum, Berlin 52
XIX. Skull mask with mosaic decoration British Museum, London 54
XX. Wooden shield with turquois mosaic decoration British Museum, London 56
XXI. Wooden shield with turquois mosaic decoration State Natural History Museum, Vienna 58
XXII. Back of wooden shield illustrated in Pl. I. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 60
XXIII. Wooden shield with mosaic decoration. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 62
XXIV. Wooden shield with mosaic decoration. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 64
XXV. Wooden shield (fragment) with mosaic decoration. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 66
XXVI. Wooden shield (fragment) with mosaic decoration. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 68
XXVII. Wooden shield (fragment) with mosaic decoration. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 70
XXVIII. Wooden shield (fragment) with mosaic decoration. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 72
XXIX. Wooden shield (fragment) with mosaic decoration. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 74
XXX. Wooden ear-plug with mosaic decoration. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York 76
XXXI. Wooden head with head-piece, with mosaic decoration. National Museum, Copenhagen 78
XXXII. a, Wooden jaguar head with mosaic decoration. Ethnographical Museum, Berlin
b, Wooden head of animal and human face in jaws with mosaic decoration. National Museum, Copenhagen 78
XXXIII. a, Wooden head of animal with mosaic decoration. State Natural History Museum, Vienna
b, Wooden head of monkey with mosaic decoration. British Museum, London 78
XXXIV. a, Wooden two-headed jaguar figure with mosaic decoration. Ethnographical Museum, Berlin
b, Wooden bird’s head with mosaic decoration. Museum, Gotha 78
XXXV. Wooden animal figure on haunches with mosaic decoration. British Museum, London 78
XXXVI. Wooden double-headed snake figure with mosaic decoration. British Museum, London 80
XXXVII. Wooden figure of Xolotl god with mosaic decoration. State Natural History Museum, Vienna 80
XXXVIII. Flint knife with wooden handle with mosaic decoration. British Museum, London 82
XXXIX. a, Wooden knife handle with mosaic decoration. Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum, Rome
b, Wooden knife handle with mosaic decoration. Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum, Rome 82
XL. Human femur musical instrument with mosaic decoration. Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum, Rome 84
Text Figures
1. Bowl filled with turquois. After Tribute Roll of Montezuma 24
2. Ten masks of turquois. After Tribute Roll of Montezuma 24
3. Small bag filled with turquois. After Tribute Roll of Montezuma 25
4. Shields with turquois mosaic decoration. After Tribute Roll of Montezuma 25
5. Serpent scepter with turquois mosaic decoration. After Sahagun, manuscript of the Real Palacio, Madrid 43
6. a, Gold crown with turquois mosaic decoration. After Sahagun, manuscript of the Real Palacio, Madrid
b, Gold crown. After Tribute Roll of Montezuma 45
7. Pottery disc with hematite mosaic decoration, from Cuilapa, Oaxaca. American Museum of Natural History, New York 51
8. Gold shield breast ornament with turquois mosaic decoration, from Yanhuitlan, Oaxaca. National Museum, Mexico 52
9. Wooden object (fragment) with turquois mosaic decoration, from Sacred cenote, ruins of Chichen Itza, Yucatan. Peabody Museum, Cambridge 57
10. Wooden object (fragment) with turquois mosaic decoration, from Sacred cenote, ruins of Chichen Itza, Yucatan. Peabody Museum, Cambridge 57
11. Rattle of the god Xipe Totec. After Sahagun, manuscript of the Real Palacio, Madrid 58
12. a, b, c, Crowns with mosaic decoration, from sculptured wall, Temple of the Jaguars, ruins of Chichen Itza, Yucatan. After Maudslay 58
13. Mask with mosaic decoration, from sculptured wall, Temple of the Jaguars, ruins of Chichen Itza, Yucatan. After Maudslay 59
14. Mask with mosaic decoration, from sculptured wall, Temple of the Jaguars, ruins of Chichen Itza, Yucatan. After Maudslay 59
15. Mask of wood with turquois mosaic decoration. Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum, Rome. After Pigorini 63
16. God Paynal with shield decorated with turquois mosaic. After Sahagun, manuscript of the Real Palacio, Madrid 70
17. God Paynal with shield decorated with turquois mosaic. After Sahagun, Florentine manuscript 70
18. Glyphs of the town of Culhuacan. After Codex Telleriano Remensis 74
19. Knife handle of wood with turquois mosaic decoration. Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum, Rome. After Pigorini 83
TURQUOIS MOSAIC ART IN ANCIENT MEXICO
By MARSHALL H. SAVILLE