Page 570 - Art In The Age Of Exploration (Great Section on Chinese Art Ming Dynasty)

The figure of this toad was sculpted with great
realism. It is in a crouching position. The head
is pointed almost like a beak, giving it a birdlike
profile. On the upper part, two semispherical
protuberances identify the animal as one of the
species Bufo marinus, which is characterized by
the bags of poison on its head. According to the
Spanish chroniclers of the sixteenth century, this
substance was carefully extracted by the Aztecs
and used to prepare a hallucinogenic drink.
On the sides of the head are three circular holes
in sequence, probably used for placing ornaments
of real feathers or textile on the sculpture. On
the belly of the animal is the symbol of the center
of the universe, consisting of a large circle with a
feather border. There are also four small circles on
the edge of this circle placed in a crosslike design.
These are symbolic representations of chalchi-
huitl, the precious jade. Another Aztec sculpture
of a toad in the Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin,
has an almost identical carving on its underside
(Nicholson 1983, 115-116).
Many images of Tlaltecuhtli, the lord of the This magnificent sculpture is one of the best- 4O2
earth, have the same symbol on the belly. The preserved and best-known specimens. The reptile
Aztecs imagined Tlaltecuhtli in the crouched posi- is completely covered by the feathers, which RECLINING JAGUAR
tion of a large batrachian under the earth who extend in different directions as if the wind were Aztec
held the universe on his shoulders. Therefore this moving them. The snake's head is striking: large volcanic stone
sacred toad is like the center of the earth that sup- brows appear over eyes that appear to be made of 12.5 x 14.5 x 28 (4% x /8 x 11 j
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ports us on his shoulders. F.S. strips of interwoven textile. The nose is partially
covered by a sort of triangular upper lip. There The Brooklyn Museum
are more than the normal number of two fangs:
4O1 a full row runs from one corner of the mouth to The jaguar, the world's largest spotted cat, was
the other, exaggerating the serpent's ferocity. An absent from the mountainous region of central
QUETZALCOATL enormous forked tongue, in the form of a broad Mexico, the heart of the Aztec empire, except
band with a double tip that is curled up, falls in the royal zoo. But this fearsome creature of
Aztec
gray stone heavily covering part of the body. the lowland forests played a vital role in Aztec
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25, diameter 40 (9%, i5 /4J Unfortunately, a relief found at the base of the thought: along with the harpy eagle, it was the
sculpture was erased intentionally when working symbol of war. In the Aztec creation myth the
CNCA—INAH— MEX, Museo National de the stone. Nonetheless some details of the repre- first world age was the era of jaguars; the great
Antropologia, Mexico City sentation remain, suggesting that the base was a god Tezcatlipoca, who dominated the age, took the
figure of the god of earth, Tlaltecuhtli, whose form of a jaguar; and, finally, the jaguar warriors
The pre-Hispanic peoples venerated a deity repre- characteristic position was crouching. On the back were one of the two most powerful military
senting the fertility of the earth and positive of the head it bears the date i Reed. orders in the Aztec army.
changes in nature. This deity was given the form The significance of this sculpture of Quetzal- This small sculpture is a sympathetic rendering
of a serpent, usually a poisonous one such as the coatl on a base representing Tlaltecuhtli is that, of the creature. The front paws are outstretched
rattlesnake, which was shown covered with feath- for the Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl, based on the earth, and the tail curves across the hind legs in a posi-
ers. The oldest known image of this type is on a in turn held up the universe. F.S.
ceramic vessel from Tlatilco, dated 900 B.C.
The Aztecs called this god Quetzalcoatl, "the
feathered serpent/' one of the deities of creation
who, together with Tezcatlipoca, had participated
in the successive generation of the world ages or
"suns" (see further explanation in Coe essay in
this catalogue). The feathered serpent was
responsible for the second sun, the age of the
wind, which brought light into the world.
The Aztecs often represented Quetzalcoatl.
In general he is shown as a serpent whose body
is rolled in a spiral, forming a sort of truncated
cone; the animal is covered with feathers and gen-
erally has a large head. In some cases the calendar
date i Reed, the date when Quetzalcoatl was born,
is added in a small square.

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