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Rare Aztec 15th/16th Century Temple/Observatory Model w/ 1970 Provenance
About the Item
An extremely rare Basalt model of a temple in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, perhaps one that was next to the Templo Mayor itself, The Great Temple.
As a way of reinforcing the centralized power of the Aztec Empire and its Religious institutions, thousands of small clay models of the main buildings in Tenochtitlan were mass produced in press molds and distributed throughout the Empire, where they were installed in household religious shrines.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a large collection of these small clay examples(The Bullowa Collection)
The Met Catalog for their show "Design For Eternity: Architectural Models From The Ancient Americas"(2015) displays a clay example which is very similar to the offered example (Pg. 53, fig 58)(See the first entry above in "Additional Images".)
These round versions are quite different from the rectangular models. It has been suggested that they were dedicated to the Wind God Ehecatl, or may have actually been oservatories for charting celestial phenomena
The Met clay example is 5 1/4" and THE OFFERED STONE EXAMPLE IS MASSIVE IN COMPARISON AT 11 3/4" TALL!
Large stone examples like this one were probably made for more important locations, like temples in the provinces.
In any case, this example is exceedingly rare if not unique, as there are no stone models in the Met Collection, there were none in the Met's exhibition, and none have been found in searches of the Aztec Literature
Bill of Sale - Original sale document dated Dec. 23, 1970, from the important early L.A. Dealer Harry Franklin to the Collector who owned it for over 50 years (Available upon request)
Authentication:
- Original paper by Hasso von Winning dated Feb 12, 1971 (Available upon request)
- Examination by Stoetzer Fine Art Services, Miami, Florida
- Dimensions:Height: 11.5 in (29.21 cm)Width: 4 in (10.16 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
- Style:Pre-Columbian (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:15th/16th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor structural damages. Excellent condition for a 500-yr old antiquity.
- Seller Location:Culver City, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8673235599602
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Established in 1978
1stDibs seller since 2023
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- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Culver City, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
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