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Cast of Stone Turtle-Man (Macuilxochitl)
Object Number 45-57-20/15140
Display Title Cast of Stone Turtle-Man (Macuilxochitl)
Descriptions
Object Description Cast of human head between carapace of turtle. Stone Turtle-Man Mexica Aztec, circa A.D. 1500 Probably Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) Aztec artisans produced numerous small sculptures of animals and plants, probably used to adorn temples, shrines, and courtyards throughout the city. Aquatic creatures such as turtles were symbols of fertility or of the watery underworld. The human head suggests that this image may represent a nahualli, a transforming animal spirit of a person or a deity. [D. Stuart, 2001]
Inventory Description Cast, high relief, human head between carapace of turtle
Cast Name AZTEC_Macuilxochitl_TurtleMan
Classification
  • Cast
Department Archaeological
Date circa A.D. 1500
Culture
  • Mexica Aztec
Geography/Provenience/Site Name
Central America / Mexico / Federal District / Cuauhtémoc / <City> / Tenochtitlan
Additional Geographic Terms Valley of Mexico
Materials Plaster, Wood, Burlap, Pigment
Dimensions Overall: 35 x 42 x 51 cm (13 3/4 x 16 9/16 x 20 1/16 in.) Overall, Weight: 38781.43 g (38.781 kg)
Quantity 1
Label on object 45-57-20/15140

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