Double-headed serpent
Encyclopedia
The Double-headed serpent is an Aztec
statue kept at the British Museum
. Composed of mostly turquoise
pieces applied to a wood base, it is one of nine mosaics of similar material in the British Museum; there are thought to be about 25 such pieces from that period in the whole of Europe. It came from Aztec Mexico and might have been worn or displayed in religious ceremonies. It is possible that this sculpture may be one of the gifts given by the Aztec emperor, Moctezuma II
, to Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés
when he invaded in 1519. The mosaic is made of pieces of turquoise, crab shell and conch shell.
Some of the turqoise had been brought 1,600 km to become part of this serpent.
The heads of the snake have holes for eyes, but there is evidence that beeswax may have been used to hold something that appeared to be an eye. It has been speculated that the material that once made the serpent's eyes was a piece of iron pyrite (Fool's Gold). The vivid contrast of the red and white details on the head have been made from crab shell and snail shell respectively. Cleverly, the adhesive used to attach the Spondylus
shell has been coloured with red iron oxide (haematite) to complete the design. The white shell used for the teeth comes from shells of the edible sea snail (Queen Conch).
. Some sources report that Moctezuma thought that Cortes was the feathered serpent god
Quetzalcoatl
and treated him accordingly. Cortes was given a number of valuable gifts, which included turquoise sculptures, and possibly this serpent. Despite the gifts and the peaceful reception, Moctezuma was taken prisoner by Cortes and his troops took the Moctezuma's capital, Tenochtitlan, by 1521. The Aztecs lost and they then fell victim to smallpox
and other European diseases brought to Mexico by Cortez and his troops.
The Cortez antiquities arrived in Europe in the 1520's and caused great interest; however, it is said that other turqoise mosaics ended their days in jewellers in Florence where they were dismantled to make more contemporary objects. Neil Macgregor
credits Henry Christy
with gathering similar artifacts into the British Museum.
The sculpture is now in the possession of the British Museum and was purchased by the Christy Fund.
and the turqouise double-headed serpent is currently in Room 25. There are considered to be only 25 Mexican turquoise mosaics in Europe from this period.
There were a number of reasons why the serpent may have been chosen as the subject of this sculpture. It has been proposed that the serpent was a symbol of rebirth because of its ability to shed its old skin and appear as a reborn snake. The snake features strongly in the gods that the people worshiped. The feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl was important to their religion, but other gods also had serpentine characteristics.
, a series of radio programmes that started in 2010 as a collaboration between the BBC
and the British Museum.
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
statue kept at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. Composed of mostly turquoise
Turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl648·4. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue...
pieces applied to a wood base, it is one of nine mosaics of similar material in the British Museum; there are thought to be about 25 such pieces from that period in the whole of Europe. It came from Aztec Mexico and might have been worn or displayed in religious ceremonies. It is possible that this sculpture may be one of the gifts given by the Aztec emperor, Moctezuma II
Moctezuma II
Moctezuma , also known by a number of variant spellings including Montezuma, Moteuczoma, Motecuhzoma and referred to in full by early Nahuatl texts as Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin, was the ninth tlatoani or ruler of Tenochtitlan, reigning from 1502 to 1520...
, to Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
when he invaded in 1519. The mosaic is made of pieces of turquoise, crab shell and conch shell.
Description
The body of the sculpture has been carved from wood. The back of this model is very plain, and only the heads have decorations on both sides. The body has been hollowed out to make the sculpture lighter. The main body of the snake at the front is covered in turquoise. The stone has been broken into similar sized pieces and then stuck to the wooden body with pine resin. By using 2,000 small pieces, the flat pieces of stone give the impression of a smooth curved mosaic surface. It has to be remembered that this sculpture was created without the use of iron tools. The turquoise had to be cut and ground using harder stones.Some of the turqoise had been brought 1,600 km to become part of this serpent.
The heads of the snake have holes for eyes, but there is evidence that beeswax may have been used to hold something that appeared to be an eye. It has been speculated that the material that once made the serpent's eyes was a piece of iron pyrite (Fool's Gold). The vivid contrast of the red and white details on the head have been made from crab shell and snail shell respectively. Cleverly, the adhesive used to attach the Spondylus
Spondylus
Spondylus is a genus of bivalve molluscs, the only genus in the family Spondylidae. As well as being the systematic or scientific name, Spondylus is also the most often used common name for these animals, though they are also known as thorny oysters or spiny oysters.There are many species of...
shell has been coloured with red iron oxide (haematite) to complete the design. The white shell used for the teeth comes from shells of the edible sea snail (Queen Conch).
Provenance
It is not known how this sculpture left Mexico, but it is considered possible that it was amongst the goods given to the conquistador Hernando Cortez when he was sent to take the interior of Mexico for the Spanish crown. Cortes arrived on the coast of what is now Mexico in 1519, and after battles he entered the capital on November 8, 1519 and was met with respect, if not favour, by the Aztec ruler Moctezuma IIMoctezuma II
Moctezuma , also known by a number of variant spellings including Montezuma, Moteuczoma, Motecuhzoma and referred to in full by early Nahuatl texts as Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin, was the ninth tlatoani or ruler of Tenochtitlan, reigning from 1502 to 1520...
. Some sources report that Moctezuma thought that Cortes was the feathered serpent god
Feathered Serpent (deity)
The Feathered Serpent was a prominent supernatural entity or deity, found in many Mesoamerican religions. It was called Quetzalcoatl among the Aztecs, Kukulkan among the Yucatec Maya, and Q'uq'umatz and Tohil among the K'iche' Maya...
Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered serpent". The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first documented in Teotihuacan in the first century BCE or first century CE...
and treated him accordingly. Cortes was given a number of valuable gifts, which included turquoise sculptures, and possibly this serpent. Despite the gifts and the peaceful reception, Moctezuma was taken prisoner by Cortes and his troops took the Moctezuma's capital, Tenochtitlan, by 1521. The Aztecs lost and they then fell victim to smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
and other European diseases brought to Mexico by Cortez and his troops.
The Cortez antiquities arrived in Europe in the 1520's and caused great interest; however, it is said that other turqoise mosaics ended their days in jewellers in Florence where they were dismantled to make more contemporary objects. Neil Macgregor
Neil MacGregor
Robert Neil MacGregor, OM, FSA is an art historian and museum director. He was the Editor of the Burlington Magazine from 1981 to 1987, the Director of the National Gallery, London, from 1987 to 2002, and was appointed Director of the British Museum in 2002...
credits Henry Christy
Henry Christy
Henry Christy was an English banker and collector who left his substantial collections to the British Museum.-Early life:...
with gathering similar artifacts into the British Museum.
The sculpture is now in the possession of the British Museum and was purchased by the Christy Fund.
Significance
This sculpture is one of nine Mexican turquoise mosaics in the British MuseumBritish Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
and the turqouise double-headed serpent is currently in Room 25. There are considered to be only 25 Mexican turquoise mosaics in Europe from this period.
There were a number of reasons why the serpent may have been chosen as the subject of this sculpture. It has been proposed that the serpent was a symbol of rebirth because of its ability to shed its old skin and appear as a reborn snake. The snake features strongly in the gods that the people worshiped. The feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl was important to their religion, but other gods also had serpentine characteristics.
History of the World
This sculpture featured in A History of the World in 100 ObjectsA History of the World in 100 Objects
A History of the World in 100 Objects was a joint project of BBC Radio 4 and the British Museum, comprising a 100-part radio series written and presented by British Museum director Neil MacGregor...
, a series of radio programmes that started in 2010 as a collaboration between the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and the British Museum.