Glenbow

Museum Artifact
Project

AZTEC ARTIFACT: MONTEZUMA IIS THRONE

BEFORE CONTACT WITH SPANISH

Montezumas throne (Also known as Teocalli of the Sacred

War) was commissioned in 1507 by Montezuma II. It was discovered
under Mexico Citys National Palace in 1831. It is supposed to look
like a miniature temple. Scholars debate whether it was actually used as
a seat back when it was in use. Whoever sat in the throne truly believed
that they were sent by the gods to be the ruler of Tenochtitlan.
The throne is a votive commemorative of the New Fire
Ceremony. This was the Sacred War. The New Fire Ceremony was
the most important day for the Aztecs because it marked the end of
their 52 year calendar. The purpose of this ceremony was to ensure the
reoccurrence of the sun. They would sacrifice a body atop Mt.
Uixachtecatl and remove their heart. Then, in their chest cavity, they
would attempt to kindle a fire. If the fire lit, all was good. If it didnt light
however, Tzitzimimec would come and devour all of mankind.
Leading up to 1507, the year of the last New Fire Ceremony until
contact with the Spanish, there were many misfortunes. There was a
famine and countless destructive storms. A successful New Fire Ceremony
was just what they needed. However, simply 12 years after they had a
successful one, was the beginning of their demise.
On the back of the throne there is a picture of an eagle on a cactus.
This symbolizes the founding of Tenochtitlan. On the bottom left corner of
the front, there is a rabbit. On the bottom right corner there is a picture of
reeds. Historians believe that they represent the beginning and end of the
52 year cycle respectively. The top left and right corners have images of
cuauhxicalli which are vessels that hold offerings like hearts. The left
vessel is jaguar skin and the right vessel is eagle feathers. The head of the
seat has to figures. The one on the left is definitely the god Huitzilopochtli
and the one on the right is believed to be Montezuma. The seat has a relief
of the Earth monster tlalteahtli from Aztec mythology. This
symbolizes how Montezuma is guardian of the Sun and
Earth. It also shows that he is preventing the sun from
crashing into the Earth. The four figures on either side of the
throne are the gods Tlaloc (god of rain), Tlahuizcalpantecuhtl

(god of dawn) Xiuhtecuhtli (god of fire) and Xochipilli (god of

summer).
This artifact represents the Aztecs values and beliefs. Every
symbol on the throne has something to do with the Aztecs strong
polytheistic faith. It shows that they were completely devoted to their
gods and religious customs. Instead of making statues of people, they
preform every act in the name of their gods. The fact that this throne was
made to honor The New Fire Ceremony says how important their
religion is to them. In conclusion, this shows how the throne of
Montezuma, represents the Aztecs religious aspect of their worldview.
SPANISH ARTIFACT: RAPIER
DURING AND BEFORE CONTACT WITH AZTECS

The rapier was a sword-like weapon used among the Spanish. It

originated as a weapon for street fighting. Blacksmiths would create
them and sell them to customers for self-defense. Over time, the rapier
become something more glorified and useful. This led to it being used in
war.
The rapier was very much like a sword, but had some key
differences. For starters, it was significantly longer than an average
sword. Another thing is that unlike swords which were used for slashing
and cutting, the rapiers sole purpose was to thrust and stab. In fact,
some people saved money by only getting the tip of their rapier
sharpened, since there was no purpose of having the rest sharp. Finally,
the most notable difference between the rapier and the sword is that the
rapiers had metal hilts to protect the hand.
These hilts evolved in design over time. The started out as fancy
rings protecting the hand. This didnt serve a great defensive purpose,
but were seen as very fashionable. Then they started to be made using
metal plates joined together to make half a sphere around the hand.
These served a greater defensive purpose. The most recent rapiers hilt
though, was made out of a single metal cup.
In Spain, rapiers were often associated with Renaissance
gentlemen. In fact, it became a fad to learn exotic styles of rapier
wielding from a skilled master. Some even say that because of the
rapier, Spaniards developed the art of civilized swordplay like fencing.

This reflects the Spanish worldview in that they show humanism because
they want to expand their knowledge in a unique form of art
The rapiers didnt just play a significant role in Spain but also
against the Aztecs. The rapiers sharp and flexible build proved to be quite
deadly in close combat. Also, since it was a thrusting weapon, it was easy
to use while on a horse. This portrays the strong war based worldview of
the Spanish. Also, the fact that these weapons helped them conquer the
Aztecs it contributed to their ethnocentric worldview and their
imperialistic worldview. In conclusion this is how the rapier contributes to
the Spanish and represents their worldview.
SPANISH+AZTEC ARTIFACT: CALAVERAS
MODERN TIMES

Calaveras are skull shaped figurines. They are usually made of

either clay or sugar. They are the most common emblems of the Day of
Dead. Calaveras can also be literary pieces of poetry.
The Day of the Dead (Also known as Da de los Muertos) is a
holiday that originated in Mexico. It is a day where people pray and
celebrate the loved ones such as family and friends who have passed
away. This portrays the Aztec worldview because they glorified death.
Before contact with the Spanish, the Aztecs celebrated this holiday at
the beginning of summer. However, after Spanish colonization, it was
moved to October 31, November 1, and November 2, just so it could
coincide with Halloween. This shows the Spanishs ethnocentric
attirude because they went and changed the date of a holiday that they
dont even celebrtate. Recently, in the 1900s, people have started to
celebrate the dead infants and children on November 1. This day was
called Da de los Inocentes and Da de los Angelitos(or Day of the
Innocent and Day of the angels.)
Sugar skulls were a type of Calaveras. They were created from
sugar cane and were given to people as gifts on
Day of the Dead. First, the person would craft the
skull shape. Then, they would adorn and decorate
it with vegetable dye. The vegetable dye ranged
in all different colors. Some sugar skulls had a
chocolate flavor. Some people would eat them
and some would keep them and then throw away.

A variation of the sugar skull is the clay skulls. These were usually given
as gifts to children and were painted a silvery color.
Literary Calaveras are a little bit different than the other ones.
They are stories or poems written in a very special way. They are written
in a way that humorously criticize the living or that remind people of the
inevitability of death. These are usually written on October 31. Literary
Calaveras are almost always written in an ironic tone. Starting in the
1700s, Mestizos began writing literature that resembled the literary
Calaveras to express their feelings to the government.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

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