The Cosmic Tree, the Miracle of the Sky [See March 27, 2014 Also for this.] |
On February 26, 2014, William T. Gassaway, in the Dept. of Art History & Archaeology at Columbia University! wrote the Aztlan listserv through the Help Us paraphrased comments.
The "panel" above is part of an Aztec altar, Of which all four lateral sides are carved. It is Identified in the Aztec Empire catalog (Guggenheim, 2004: Plate 79) as "Altar of the Sacred Tree" (Aztec,! Approx. 1,300 stone, 58 x 72 x 67cm, Imnaha 10-81641). Esther Pasztory labeled it "Box with Ornate Tree and Bird, and Other Emblems" (Chalco! Morelos, 1200-1521; see Aztec Art, 1983: Plate 163).
Along with the image of this bird in a "sacred" or "ornate tree" (aka! "world tree" or axis mundi), the altar features a "flower-and-shells emblem" with tendril-like stamen, and an abstract "trapeze-and-ray emblem" resembling (William Gassaway) either a stylized butterfly or a conch shell / Venus pectoral with possible date glyph (or bar numeral ').
William has personal Pasztory notes (1983: 212) Which read:
"The ornamental quality of Chalco style is well shown by the base on Which this statue [of Xochipilli, the "Flower Prince"] sits (not found with the statue) to a stone replica of a wooden drum (see Plate 256) a nd to a stone box (Plates 163-65).
The double outline surrounding all the forms, the rich floral ornament, and the Curvilinear shapes differentiate Chalco styles from That of the Mexica. Chalco style is direct continuation of the style of Classic Veracruz. Double outlines as well as design elements as dry shells recall the styles of Xochicalco and beautifully carved ball-game objects (see Plates 14, 15) ...
Motifs of Chalco art are flowers, shells, and butterflies rather than symbols of blood sacrifice. The practice of copying wood or clay objects in carved stone april have begun at Chalco with its tradition of fine stone-carving, which was probably influential on the nascent art of Tenochtitlán. Chalco, a traditional enemy of the Mexica, was finally conquered by Motecuhzoma I. "
Except for the terminology found in the sentence: either a stylized butterfly or a conch shell / Venus pectoral all the infomation is accurate, even the name 'Venus' but without the capiitalized letter. 'V'.
The 'butterfly' image brings to mind two different cultural references: that of the Mixtec And that of the Aztecs. In the Codex Magliabechiano, he Lamina 18, the 'mari posa' [sic] is Identified as a "mariposa" a butterfly.
Lamina 18, and 'mari posa' or Mariposa: A Butterfly |
Lamina 18 shows the center of this simplified butterfly, as the eye in the sky, or as a star, as found in Aztec, Maya, Mixtec and other Codices, murals, etc..
Lamina 07 A similar expanded many-legged blue butterfly with a more formal rversion on the left |
While Lamina 17 shows an expanded version of a stellar bi-polar jet is basically a star tht is in the process of exploding. The bi-polar aspect is the central core of the blue version on the right with its center no longer the Mesoamerican star forms, but instead, it indicates either of the poles [north of south] where the gasses Began to expand outward, before this star disintegrated and left a huge nebula called the Ring Nebula it its place.
Astro-artist's version of a Bi-Polar Jet. |
As the star Became a fireball inthe sky, the process was explained as a stellar "ball-game" in Mesoamerica or as a "battle" for a fire-ball between two sky dragons [comets] as found on the blue-tiled mural on a mini-wall in a Beijing park in China.
At a Beijing Park in Chaina |
The Aztecs took Tlaltecuhtli's story to heart and created what is now called the Moon Disk to A. Beam, and M. Simons in 1978 under an article titled "Digging up a Goddess" found in Newsweek, on page 96.
Putting together all these pieces of information is a daunting task That took me over 35 years and i have posted dry information as early as March 27, 2012 here on my Google Blog. If there are any corrections, please let me know at Comments found below. Thank you.