MASK OF WOOD WITH MOSAIC DECORATION
MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN HEYE FOUNDATION. NEW YORK
The distinctive head-band or crown worn by the Mexican rulers is mentioned by numerous early writers and illustrated in many codices. It was known as the xiuhtzolli or xiuhuitzontli, and was called also copilli. We have selected for illustration (fig. 6) two examples from the codices. The first (a) is taken from the Sahagun manuscript of the Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid (estampa XVII). This page contains pictures of a number of Aztecan rulers, all represented with the turquois-mosaic crown painted blue. Moreover, the hieroglyphic name of Montezuma, here placed above his head, is a mosaic crown. The crown itself was of gold, on which the turquois mosaic was placed. The other example (b) is from the Tribute Roll of Montezuma (Peñafiel edition, pl. XIX). It is part of the hieroglyph for the place-name Tecmilco, signifying “the lands of the royal crown,” the combination being the crown painted blue resting on the sign for cultivated land. Our figure shows a plain gold crown, but it is painted blue in the codex.
a Fig. 6 b
A copper crown from Tenango, State of Mexico, has been figured by Peñafiel. It is properly a head-band with a triangular projection with rounded top which rose from the forehead, and was probably worn by a warrior or sub-chief.[69] In this work Peñafiel illustrates the mask in Rome (see our pl. VII), and states that the upper part is a xiuhhuitzolli, or turquois-mosaic crown. We will discuss this point later. Many years ago, in Mexico, the writer heard of a gold copilli as having been found in the Matlaltzincan region near Toluca, but was never able to verify the story. A few extracts from the chroniclers, relating to these golden crowns with turquois mosaic, follow.
In the Codex Cozcatzin the Aztec king Axayacatl is represented with the xiuhuitzontli, the turquois mosaic-work head-band.[70]
In the selection of Ahuitzotl as king, Tezozomoc writes:
They put on him the crown which was blue, of rich stone mosaic-work, (in shape) like a half miter called xiuhtzolli (or xihuitzolli), and also placed on him, among other things, a netted mantle strewn with small stonework. This formed part of his costume when he went to the temple of Huitzilopochtli to worship. When adored by neighboring subjugated tribes he wore a crown of gold (adorned) with much stone mosaic-work of a half miter shape, and on the left shoulder was put a sash called matemacatl which was all gilded and enameled with fine stone mosaic-work, which was also called teocuitla cozehuatl, as we now speak of a shoe-ribbon, and on the foot was placed something like an anklet of acero [sic] strewn with emerald stones, all gilded.[71]
Duran states that among the offerings buried with the Aztec king Ahuitzotl were “crowns of the fashion that they used, of gold and of stone mosaic-work.”[72]