Aztec Wall Plaque - Aztec Double-Headed Serpent

Pre-Columbian Wall Plaque - Double-Headed Serpent

British Museum, London. 15th century.

Splendid relic of the Aztecs, who rose from squalid origins to power and riches in just 200 years, this double-headed rattlesnake serpent was used as a ceremonial chest ornament that may have been worn by a priest. It is encrusted with scales of turquoise, a stone the Aztecs imported from the outposts of their empire to adorn some of their most beautiful possessions. This piece is the work of a Mixtec jeweler, and dates from the 15th century. Mixtec craftsmanship was highly prized; an entire enclave of artisans from this culture lived in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. In Mesoamerican culture, serpents were very important religious symbols, the shedding of their skin made them a symbol of rebirth and renewal. One of the main mesoamerican deities, Quetzalcoaltl, was represented as a feathered serpent. This wall hanging relief is made from compound stone, with an antique sandstone finish, ready to hang,