prev - home - index - next
The imagery on this remarkable brazier is most probably cosmogonic. The upper band, limited by the twisted ropes which were typically used as a symbol for "boundary", displays raptor birds and glyphs, quite possibly related to the Sun, the Moon and the main planets. The body of the brazier has intertwining bands with stars, symbolizing the heavenly vault. Finally, the round feet display the mask of a Tlaloc-like deity, a likely representation of the Earth.
Ball-footed brazier Toltec Early Post-Classic (900-1250 A.D.) Tula, State of Hidalgo Clay with traces of red, yellow and possibly green pigments 40 x 40 cm. National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico. Photo © Jorge Pérez de Lara |
|