![]() ![]() In an annotated sale catalogue in the British Library the group of three mosaics is shown as having been acquired by what appears to be a Mr Roussey or Roussell for 14 guineas (the handwriting is difficult to read). The three turquoise items (mask, knife and skull) also appear in the catalogue of Hertz’s first Sotheby’s sale (Sotheby & Wilkinson, 1854) which took place in May 1854. Hertz published a catalogue of his collection (Hertz, 1851) – possibly the first appearance of the mosaics in print since the 17th century – and in this (Hertz, 1851: iii) reference is made to the collection having been acquired “within the last twenty years”. Carmichael, Turquoise Mosaics from Mexico (London, British Museum, 1970) p. An account of the provenance of these objects is given in a letter from Hertz, who had settled in London in the 1830s, dated ‘5 February 1858’ but (Dept of Asia, WWII archive) more probably written in 1859 at a time when Christy was contemplating their purchase at a forthcoming sale. 1794) and subsequently bequeathed to the Museum by Henry Christy (1810-65) q.v. 399, Mask Am St.400, Human skull Am St.401) acquired by the dealer and collector Bram Hertz (b. ![]() This item is part of group of three turquoises (Sacrificial Knife Am St. Priests who did this often were obvious, as their tongues would be extremely scarred, damaged to the point where they were said to have had difficulty in speaking.Acquisition notes For details on Christy's purchase of Am,St.399-401, see King et al. Finally, this practice of drawing straws is usually listed as a priestly activity, not something done by ordinary people, though occasionally the nobility appear to have done it as well. Interestingly, this practice was apparently only done on days that had a proper sign according to the ritual calendar ( tonalpohualli), but I’ve never come across what daysigns those were. Wherever it was done, the bloodied straws were left behind as offerings. This sacrifice was typically done in a temple or at the side of the road. (I haven’t the slightest idea of how that last one worked, it’s definitely not something the Spanish friars would’ve recorded the details of!) Then they would poke a hole with a sharp sliver of obsidian, and pull a number of straws or thin cords through the hole. In the texts I’ve read, the tongue seems to be the most common choice for this kind, though the ears, legs, and possibly penis were used as well. The person would first select a place to pierce. This rather severe form of autosacrifice was a multi-step process. The individual would pierce himself or herself in the chosen location, and once the thorns were sufficiently bloodied, would carefully arrange them on a bed of cut fir boughs, or stick them into a ball of dried grass.Īlternatively, the Aztecs would nick their earlobes with an obsidian knife, and the blood would be allowed to drip on the ground, be sprinkled into a fire, or flicked towards the sun, symbolically giving the life-energy to Tonatiuh.įinally, there was a final type of personal blood offering, that of passing straws or cords through the body. ![]() (Incidentally, Quetzalcoatl, the First Priest, is often shown in the codices holding a bone perforator or two.) From what I’ve read, it seems that maguey spines were particularly associated with piercing the ears and the legs, probably because their large size would be sufficient to draw blood from the legs. Maguey (agave) spines are the tool most frequently mentioned in the historical texts, though slivers of obsidian and special perforators made from a spike-shaped piece of sharpened bone were also used. The most common methods of getting the blood were by pricking the flesh with a sharp instrument. The Florentine Codex records the rite of confession to Tlazolteotl, and according to Sahagun, the confessor priest would prescribe required penances to atone for the disclosed sins - these penances often included various forms of bloodletting. The tools and methods used would vary depending on the worshipper’s preferences, the ritual context, and in at least some cases, the instruction of a priest. Traditionally, the Aztecs would collect blood from their ears, lower legs (calf, shin, or just above the ankle), lip, tongue, or penis. Today I’m going to give a quick overview of the types of autosacrifice performed by the Aztecs during the days of the Empire in order shed some additional light on this very important religious practice. A Brief Survey Of Historical Aztec Autosacrifice ![]()
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