Download Treasures from the Aztec Empire

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Treasures from the Aztec Empire
Melbourne Museum’s Aztecs exhibition showcases more than 200 stunning
artefacts from the glorious and ultimately tragic Aztec Empire. Here are some
highlights:
Pot depicting Tláloc (god of rain)
The mighty Tláloc, god of rain, is resplendent in this blue pot. His wide
eyes stare out from the resin burner once carried by priests as they
made their sacred pleas for rain, and from the vessels that stored
Tláloc’s precious water and produce. Although Tláloc brought life, he
required the sacrifice of humans, including children, to sustain him.
Their falling tears ensured life-giving rains and gardens overflowing
with crops.
Pot depicting Tezcatlipoca (god of destiny and war), 1240 - 1521
This pot is a rare surviving representation of Tezcatlipoca, god of
destiny and war. For the Aztecs, who believed in a symmetrical
universe, Tezcatlipoca occupied the north point on the compass. Other
gods controlled the other points. Tezcatlipoca had the power to
provide or withhold life and death. On this pot, his emaciated
appearance alludes to the young people who were scarified to him.
Mictlantecuhtli (god of death), about 1480
This sculpture depicts Mictlantecuhtli, god of death, who ushered souls
towards his sacred realm Mictlan – the underworld.
Half the flesh is ripped from his body, revealing the liver – the seat of
the soul. His wife, Mictecacihuatl, goddess of death, looks after the
bones of the deceased, which were used as ‘seeds’ to make new life.
For further media information, interviews or images, please contact:
Lynnette Foo on 03 8341 7726, 0422 115 391 or [email protected]
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Eagle warrior sculpture, about 1440-69
The eagle warriors were an elite military order, and greatly feared.
They were usually nobles but could also be lower-born warriors who
had taken many prisoners. In battle, they wore the regalia of these
sacred animals, which they believed gave them supernatural powers.
Eagles were associated with the sun, war, and human sacrifice – all
forces of male energy. They were among the most frequently
sculptured creatures in Aztec culture.
Temalacatl (gladiatorial sacrifice stone), 1250 – 1521
This stone was used in gladiatorial sacrifices as part of the Flaying of
Men ceremony, which honoured Xipe Tótec, god of spring and
renewal. A captive warrior was tied to the stone and given a ‘weapon’
with a feather blade. Four warriors were then sent in to fight him
carrying weapons with obsidian blades, giving them something of an
advantage. A priest then removed the injured gladiator’s heart and
flayed him – a vivid representation of the maize kernel losing its out
layer before germination. The priest wore the flayed skin over his own
and emerged 20 days later in a dramatic symbol of rebirth.
Cihuateotl, 1500s
If a woman died during childbirth, she would have been considered a
fallen warrior and ‘divine woman’, as depicted in this sculpture. This
fallen warrior would travel to the magnificent House of the Sun,
accompanying the war god Huitzilopochtli as he traversed the sky. A
glorious rebirth awaited her in four years. On five unlucky days of the
year, divine women became terrifying night spirits who haunted
crossroads, stealing children to compensate for their loss. See the
clawed hands, preparing to pounce.
For further media information, interviews or images, please contact:
Lynnette Foo on 03 8341 7726, 0422 115 391 or [email protected]
MEDIA RELEASE
Duality vessel, 1250-1521
This vessel expresses a key idea in Aztec thought – duality. The
carved warrior is both healthy and sick, alive and dead. His mutilated
nose hints that he might represent human sacrifice.
Pendant showing Xochipilli (guardian god of metalworkers), 12501521
This pendant depicts Xochipilli, the god who protected workers of
precious metals. Its intricacy probably pleased the wealthy owner, and
may also have reflected the maker’s devotion to his deity. Xochipilli
was also god of music, spring, and flowers – as his floral headdress
reveals. Gay men and male prostitutes were also under his protection.
Sculpture of a dog – about 1500
After the funeral of a dog owner, the dog itself was sacrificed to guide its
master’s soul through the nine levels of the underworld.
For further media information, interviews or images, please contact:
Lynnette Foo on 03 8341 7726, 0422 115 391 or [email protected]
MEDIA RELEASE
Sculpture of Xiuhtecuhtli (guardian god of merchants), 1469-81
Merchants supplied luxury and everyday products throughout the
Empire and beyond. They were a diverse group – including importers,
wholesalers, retailers, and slave traders – but all were guided by the
guardian god Xiuhtecuhtli (god of fire).
Sculpted warrior head, 1250 – 1521
The warrior sculpted here must have captured many enemies to have
earned the right to wear a headdress – a privilege normally reserved
for nobles.
Spanish Armour, 1500s
Aztec spears and darts failed to penetrate the iron armour of the
invaders. The Spanish soldiers were outnumbered by the locals but
stronger in arms. Most were armoured from head to toe. They could
cut down dozens of Aztecs and remain unscathed. This inscribed
breastplate belonged to Pedro de Alvarado, Cortés’ right-hand man.
Cortés left Alvarado in charge at Tenochtitlán while he dealt with a
rival Spanish commander. In May 1520, Alvarado massacred many
leading Aztec nobles in the Great Temple. This prompted a local
rebellion that led to all-out war between the Aztecs and the
newcomers.
To download a high-resolution image, visit
www.museumvictoria.com.au/about/media-centre/aztec-images
For further media information, interviews or images, please contact:
Lynnette Foo on 03 8341 7726, 0422 115 391 or [email protected]