Lecture: Moteuczoma II as a Portable Cosmos

From the venue:

Portrayals of Moteuczoma II as fearful were contested by an Indigenous artist in the Florentine Codex, highlighting rulership as pivotal in Mexica beliefs. In “The World in a Box: Montuczuma II as a Portable Cosmos,” scholars Jeanette Favrot Peterson and Molly H. Bassett will explore the quincunx’s significance in Mexica cosmology, drawing from ethnohistoric documents and archaeological findings. Moteuczoma II’s invocation of his mythohistorical ties to Quetzalcoatl authenticated his authority. The Aztec royal tepetlacalli, engraved with his name glyph, symbolized the cosmos encapsulated in a box. This discussion offers insight into Mesoamerican culture and its enduring symbols.

This program is free and open to the public, and registration is required.

Image: The Florentine Codex Facsimile, (folio 14v), Laurentian Library in Florence