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MOCTEZUMA II: MAN, MYTH, and EMPIRE Leonardo López Luján, Colin Mcewan, and Elisenda Vila Llonch

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MOCTEZUMA II: MAN, MYTH, and EMPIRE Leonardo López Luján, Colin Mcewan, and Elisenda Vila Llonch Mexicas at the BM MOCTEZUMA II: MAN, MYTH, AND EMPIRE Leonardo López Luján, Colin McEwan, and Elisenda Vila Llonch hen the Spanish Conquest with the xiuhuitzolli, the triangular of Mexico began with turquoise diadem that served as an Hernán Cortés’ first landfall emblem of royal rulership, and was also W at Veracruz in 1519, adopted by Moctezuma as the principal Moctezuma II (Fig 1) was in the process element in his name glyph. Much of of consolidating an empire that the information we have about the embraced a large swathe of central investiture is derived from later sec - Mexico. He is perhaps best known for ondary colonial sources, however there his role in the subsequent turbulent is one surviving archaeological object events surrounding the Conquest, known as the Coronation Stone that before meeting his death under myste - probably commemorates this impor - rious circumstances. Moctezuma’s fame tant event. This large rectangular stone has, nevertheless, been projected down slab is carved on both sides as well as the centuries through texts and images on its edges (Fig 2). On the underside, so that it still resonates today. The the date 1 Rabbit marks the beginning British Museum traces this extraordi - of time in Mexica beliefs. The four nary biographical narrative in edges of the monument are carved ‘Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler’ - the fourth with images of Tlaltecuhtli, the Earth and final exhibition in a series explor - Goddess, who crouches with open ing the role of renowned leaders in upturned jaws waiting to be nourished world history. by sacrificial blood. Flanking each, Tlal - Moctezuma’s great-grandfather tecuhtli are symbols for fire-water Moctezuma I had been the sixth ruler (teoatl-tlachinolli ), invoking the sacred (r. 1440-1469). Following the death of obligation to wage war and make sacri - his uncle Ahuitzotl who ruled from fices. On the upper surface of the stone 1486 until 1502, Moctezuma II was a cosmogram of the universe is comple - elected ninth huey tlatoani - ‘Ruling mented by two glyph dates, 1 Croco - Lord’ or ‘Great Speaker’ - referring to dile and 11 Reed, which can be read as the rhetorical skills demanded of those 15 July 1503, the date thought to repre - who held high office. From 1502 until sent the culmination of Moctezuma’s 1520, Moctezuma held sway as the Rul - coronation. ing Lord of the Aztecs who are now To display his new-found political more correctly referred to as the Mexica prestige Moctezuma ordered the con - (the people and culture we know as struction of a new palace, nearly all ‘Aztec’ referred to themselves as the traces of which were erased soon after Mexica - pronounced Me-shee-ka). Like the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521. Its his predecessors Moctezuma gave a original location, lying adjacent to the fresh impetus to the growth of the Sacred Precinct in the heart of the city, imperial capital Tenochtitlan commis - can be deduced from colonial represen - Fig 1. Portrait of Moctezuma by Antonio Rodriguez. Oil on sioning monumental sculptures that tations and their accompanying textual canvas, 1680-97. 180 x 165cm. Museo degli Argenti, Florence © Su concessione del Ministero per I Beni e le Attività Culturali. formed part of an ambitious pro - accounts. The first western map accom - gramme of public architecture. This panying the letters by Cortés to Charles Fig 2. Coronation Stone of Moctezuma, Art Institute of Chicago, early 16th century. article identifies some of those artefacts V depicts a broad plan of the ‘city in 22.8 x 67.3 x 57.7cm. © Art Institute of Chicago. that have survived and that help con - the lake’ (Fig 7). vey an understanding of the nature of Sculptures and architectural frag - his rulership - how he sought to be por - ments have been excavated from the trayed at the height of his powers and foundations of Moctezuma’s Palace how his public visibility was managed that lie buried beneath the National and manipulated. Palace (see Minerva, Novem - Moctezuma’s investiture in 1502-3 ber/December 2008, pp. 5-6). One such followed prescribed protocols that surviving sculpture is the formidable unfolded over many months. After ini - quadrangular sculpted head of a ser - tial ceremonies at the Great Temple pent that recalls the archaic Xochicalca and in the palace, Moctezuma was style (Fig 8). The feathered ruff around called upon to wage a ‘coronation war’. its neck, alludes to Quetzalcoatl, or This was a military campaign designed ‘feathered serpent’, the legendary ruler to secure captives for sacrifice to the of Tula. Mexica rulers, including gods and to prove his skills and bravery Moctezuma, made constant reference in the battlefield. Evidence of to Tula, revisiting the abandoned site Moctezuma’s journey can be seen in a to copy its art style and iconography. large carved outcrop in the foothills of Mexica sculptors also left an imprint of Mt Iztaccihuatl known as the Ame - their presence in the form of an image cameca Stone. of the water goddess Chalchiutlicue Upon his return to Tenochtitlan in and the culture hero Ce Acatl Top - a triumphal parade, Moctezuma was itltzin on a nearby cliff-face (Fig 9). duly enthroned in a ceremony that Another impressive sculpture is the lasted several days. He was crowned large, skillfully executed tail of a rattle 8 Minerva , September/October 2009 Mexicas at the BM Fig 6. Wooden mask encrusted with turquoise Fig 4. Wooden mask encrusted with turquoise and Fig 5. Wooden mask encrusted with turquoise and and shell, thought to represent the god shell, possibly representing Tonatiuh. Mexico, shell, representing the rain god Tlaloc. Mexico, Tezcatlipoca, or possibly possibly Mictlantecuhtli. 15th or 16th century. H. 19.5cm. 15th or 16th century. H. 19.5cm. W. 12.5cm. Mexico, 15th or 16th century. H. 19.5cm, W. 12.5cm. © Trustees of the British Museum. © Trustees of the British Museum. W. 12.5cm. © Trustees of the British Museum. snake (Fig 11). This stone sculpture Moctezuma was portrayed in same rituals (Fig 12). Moctezuma is rep - was once covered with a thin layer of anthropomorphic form as a figure cos - resented here as mediator between the stucco and brightly painted. From the tumed with regalia identifying him as nocturnal forces. He is feeding the serpent’s scales six ears of corn a personified deity. His name glyph on Earth Goddess, who is carved on the emerge, reflecting its importance as a certain monuments identifies these as underside of the casket, with his own staple food. The serpent sculpture having been commissioned by him sacrificial blood. Thus Moctezuma might in fact represent Chicomecóatl, and asserts his symbolic presence. The Fig 7 (below left). becomes a central player in the cosmic the goddess of corn and provider of standardised glyph is composed of an Nuremberg Map, order and through his ritual actions sustenance. This monumental sculp - assemblage of recognisable elements: a from: from: ensures cosmic balance. ture conceivably guarded the entrance triangular gold diadem inlaid with Hernán Cortés, A number of major sculpted monu - Cartas de relación, to the palace granaries where the food turquoise mosaic set against short, Nuremburg 1524, ments reveal how Moctezuma’s image was kept for redistribution in times of straight hair and earspool, plus a nose Paper. 35 x 65cm. is linked to significant cosmic events. drought and famine. Numerous stor - ornament and double speech scroll. On the front of the so-called Teocalli of age houses were located in the palace Several stone caskets, or tepetlacalli, Sacred Warfare two standing figures precinct proclaiming Moctezuma’s with representations of Moctezuma’s flank the solar disk (Figs 14, 15). On the control over the wealth and resources glyph have survived. left stands Huitzilopochtli, the tribal of the empire (Fig 10). One example shows his glyph- god of the Mexica; to the right stands Moctezuma’s public visibility and name on the inside of the lid, indicat - Moctezuma, identified by his name image were carefully controlled and ing that this was a treasured personal Fig 8 (below). Stone glyph and adorned with a Chichimec serpent head from he was presented to his people as a object belonging to the ruler. In Mexico City, 15th headdress and cloak, alluding to his semi-divine figure and model to be another scene the glyph and the or 16th century. royal origins. Both figures grasp the followed by the Mexica nation. His anthropomorphic representation of Museo Nacional de spines used to draw their own blood. divine status granted him special rela - Moctezuma are found together. Antropología, The image leaves no doubt that Mexico. 55.5 x 55.5 tions with the gods, and it was Moctezuma is depicted as a seated fig - x 64cm. © Museo Moctezuma is positioned on a par with through his deeds and intervention ure performing self-sacrifice by pierc - Nacional de the divinities and performing a vital that the wellbeing of his people and ing his earlobe with a maguey spine, Antropología. role in cosmic affairs. The symbol for the stability of the cosmos were while on the opposite side of the box, assured. the god Quetzalcoatl is performing the Minerva , September/October 2009 9 Mexicas at the BM burning water, for burning water once stood in the Sacred Precinct of (teoatl-tlachinolli ) emerges from his Tenochtitlan and has Moctezuma’s mouth underlining his demand for name-glyph carved on the top left warfare and sacrifices to be able to side of the solar disk next to the date feed the Earth Goddess and to allow 1 Flint. At its centre is the frontal face the sun to be re-born every day after of a deity with clawed limbs embed - its journey through the underworld.
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