Pre-Columbian Aztec
And Mayan Art
These pieces are made of hydrostone,
a gypsum compound suitable for indoor or outdoor placement.
Some may be available sooner.
Click here for an important note about
shipping costs for statues.
On This Page:
Feathered Serpent Head of Quetzalcoaltl, Aztec Calendar, Mayan Calendar, Mask of Death and Rebirth, Aztec Double Headed Serpent, Maya Vision Serpent
Feathered Serpent Head of Quetzalcoaltl
P-8 Feathered Serpent Head of Quetzalcoaltl,
Size: 7" H x 7" W x 6"D
(18cm x 18cm x16cm)
Type: Wall Plaque
Material: Hydrostone
Finish: Antique Stone Finish
Price: $56
Pyramid of Quetzalcoaltl, Teotihuacan, Mexico. 300 A.D.
One of the great Gods of Ancient Mesoamerica, Quetzalcoatl is a synthesis of serpent and bird. The name means
"quetzal serpent". The quetzal was a sacred bird of very beautiful feathers which were used in elite and ritual
costumes. Quetzalcoatl, the patron of rulership, had several incarnations, the most important were as a creator god, as
Ehecatl, the God of Wind; as the Morning Star; and as Topiltzin, a semi-human ruler, unique among the Gods.
The priestly Quetzalcoatl was often contrasted to his dark shamanic brother Tezcatlipoca, the God of war, and their
relation veer between enmity and alliance.
According to Aztec and Mayan creation accounts, after the great floods ended the era of the Fourth Sun, Quetzalcoatl
and Tezcatlipoca raised the heavens and created the Earth. Since no people inhabitated the earth, Quetzalcoatl descended
to the underworld to retrieve the remains of the people destroyed by the flood. Their bones were ground like corn into
a fine meal and upon it the gods let their blood, thus creating the flesh of the present race and the era of the Fifth
Sun.
Aztec Calendar
P-90 Aztec Calendar
Size: 10"H (25cm)
Type: Wall plaque
Material: Casting stone
Finish: Antique stone finish
Price: $53.00
P-1 Aztec Calendar
Large Aztec Solar Calendar
Size: 17"h (43cm)
Type: Wall plaque
Material: Casting stone
Finish: Antique stone finish
Price: $87.00
Anthropological Museum,
Mexico City. 1500 A.D.
The Aztec calendar set out the mathematical formulas according to which the whole universe was
organized and which governed the actions of men and Gods alike. The calendar is actually two: the Xiupohualli or the
count of the days and the Tonalpohualli or the count of destiny. The calendar had to be consulted through the priests
before engaging in any activity whether it was farming, warfare, religion or commerce.
In addition to the count of the days, it also has astronomical data like the phases of the moon and Venus and the
years of Mercury and Mars. The calendar also mentions the four eras of humanity known as "suns" before our own: all
ended in cataclysm. The sun that is now ours, the fifth one, Nahui Ollin ("four earthquake") is supposed to end by
cataclysmic earthquakes. The Aztecs attributed the invention of the calendar to the God Quetzalcoatl. The original
calendar weighs 25 tons and has a diameter of eleven feet.
Maya Calendar
P-5 Maya Calendar
Size: 10.5" H
(27cm)
Type: Wall Plaque
Material: Hydrostone
Finish: Antique Stone Finish
Price: $46
The Maya Calendar depicted here was called "the Haab," the solar calendar of 365 days. It was divided
into 18 months of 20 days, each with a period of 5 days left over at the end of the year. This short 5 day month is
called Uayeb, "the resting or sleep of the year." The Maya also used another calendar of 260 days called the sacred
round or Tzolkin composed of 13 months of 20 days.
A cycle of 52 solar years, called the calendar round was also used. The calendar round of 52 years included both the
Haab and Tzolkin calendars intermeshing with each other. Any specific day in the 260 day calendar had a unique
corresponding position in the 360 day calendar, but that corresponding position would not repeat itself again for 52
solar years.
This calendar sculpture shows the Maya God of Time at the center, supporting the burden of time on his back. He is
surrounded by the hieroglyphs of the 19 months.
Mask of Death and Rebirth
P-15 Mask of Death and Rebirth
Size: 5.5" H x 7.5" W
(19cm x 14cm)
Type: Wall Plaque
Material: Hydrostone
Finish: Antique Stone Finish
Price: $36
P-9 Aztec Double Headed Serpent
P-9 Aztec Double Headed Serpent
Size: 11" H X 19" W
(28cm x 48cm)
Type: Wall Plaque
Material: Hydrostone
Finish: Antique Stone Finish
Price: $98
British Museum, London. 15th century
A splendid relic of the Aztecs, who rose from humble origins to power and riches in just 200 years,
this double-headed rattlesnake was used as a ceremonial chest ornament that may have been worn by a priest. It is
encrusted with scales of turquoise, a stone the Aztecs imported from the outposts of their empire to adorn some of
their most beautiful possessions.
This piece is the work of a Mixtec jeweller, and dates from the 15th century. Mixtec craftsmanship was highly
prized; an entire enclave of artisans from this culture lived in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. In mesoamerican
culture, serpents were very important religious symbols. The shedding of their skin made them a symbol of rebirth and
renewal. One of the main Mesoamerican deities, Quetzalcoatl, was represented as a feathered serpent.
Maya Vision Serpent
| Feathered Serpent Head of Quetzalcoaltl
P-8 Feathered Serpent Head of Quetzalcoaltl, Size: 7" H x 7" W x 6"D |
Pyramid of Quetzalcoaltl, Teotihuacan, Mexico. 300 A.D. |
|
One of the great Gods of Ancient Mesoamerica, Quetzalcoatl is a synthesis of serpent and bird. The name means "quetzal serpent". The quetzal was a sacred bird of very beautiful feathers which were used in elite and ritual costumes. Quetzalcoatl, the patron of rulership, had several incarnations, the most important were as a creator god, as Ehecatl, the God of Wind; as the Morning Star; and as Topiltzin, a semi-human ruler, unique among the Gods. The priestly Quetzalcoatl was often contrasted to his dark shamanic brother Tezcatlipoca, the God of war, and their relation veer between enmity and alliance. According to Aztec and Mayan creation accounts, after the great floods ended the era of the Fourth Sun, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca raised the heavens and created the Earth. Since no people inhabitated the earth, Quetzalcoatl descended to the underworld to retrieve the remains of the people destroyed by the flood. Their bones were ground like corn into a fine meal and upon it the gods let their blood, thus creating the flesh of the present race and the era of the Fifth Sun. |
|
| Aztec Calendar
P-90 Aztec Calendar P-1 Aztec Calendar |
Mexico City. 1500 A.D. |
| The Aztec calendar set out the mathematical formulas according to which the whole universe was
organized and which governed the actions of men and Gods alike. The calendar is actually two: the Xiupohualli or the
count of the days and the Tonalpohualli or the count of destiny. The calendar had to be consulted through the priests
before engaging in any activity whether it was farming, warfare, religion or commerce.
In addition to the count of the days, it also has astronomical data like the phases of the moon and Venus and the years of Mercury and Mars. The calendar also mentions the four eras of humanity known as "suns" before our own: all ended in cataclysm. The sun that is now ours, the fifth one, Nahui Ollin ("four earthquake") is supposed to end by cataclysmic earthquakes. The Aztecs attributed the invention of the calendar to the God Quetzalcoatl. The original calendar weighs 25 tons and has a diameter of eleven feet. |
|
| Maya Calendar
P-5 Maya Calendar Size: 10.5" H |
|
| The Maya Calendar depicted here was called "the Haab," the solar calendar of 365 days. It was divided
into 18 months of 20 days, each with a period of 5 days left over at the end of the year. This short 5 day month is
called Uayeb, "the resting or sleep of the year." The Maya also used another calendar of 260 days called the sacred
round or Tzolkin composed of 13 months of 20 days.
A cycle of 52 solar years, called the calendar round was also used. The calendar round of 52 years included both the Haab and Tzolkin calendars intermeshing with each other. Any specific day in the 260 day calendar had a unique corresponding position in the 360 day calendar, but that corresponding position would not repeat itself again for 52 solar years. This calendar sculpture shows the Maya God of Time at the center, supporting the burden of time on his back. He is surrounded by the hieroglyphs of the 19 months. |
|
| Mask of Death and Rebirth
P-15 Mask of Death and Rebirth Size: 5.5" H x 7.5" W |
|
| P-9 Aztec Double Headed Serpent
P-9 Aztec Double Headed Serpent Size: 11" H X 19" W |
|
| A splendid relic of the Aztecs, who rose from humble origins to power and riches in just 200 years,
this double-headed rattlesnake was used as a ceremonial chest ornament that may have been worn by a priest. It is
encrusted with scales of turquoise, a stone the Aztecs imported from the outposts of their empire to adorn some of
their most beautiful possessions.
This piece is the work of a Mixtec jeweller, and dates from the 15th century. Mixtec craftsmanship was highly prized; an entire enclave of artisans from this culture lived in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. In mesoamerican culture, serpents were very important religious symbols. The shedding of their skin made them a symbol of rebirth and renewal. One of the main Mesoamerican deities, Quetzalcoatl, was represented as a feathered serpent. |
|
Maya Vision Serpent
We have several versions and sizes of the Maya Vision Serpent.
The Mayan vision serpent symbolizes the passage of ancestral spirits and the gods of Xibalba (the Mayan underworld) into our world. In states of ecstasy, Mayan nobility invoked the vision serpent. During special ceremonies, bloody papers were burnt in a sacred bowl and from it, a great undulating serpent rose. An ancestor or occasional deity rose from its mouth.
The serpent itself then, is probably what one sees in the clouds of smoke rising from the burning sacrifice, and cloud symbols may flank the vision serpent's body. The vision serpent can be the vehicle by which ancestors or deities make themselves manifest to humanity. This sculpture depicts a version with a single head and personified blood scrolls attached to its tail.
| Maya Vision Serpent
P-96P Maya Vision Serpent Size: 14.5" H (37cm) |
Yaxchilan, Mexico. 755 A.D. |
Maya Vision Serpent
P-96 Maya Vision Serpent Size: 14.5" H (25cm) |
Yaxchilan, Mexico. 755 A.D. |
| Maya Vision Serpent
P-7 Small Maya Vision Serpent Size: 8" H (20cm) |
Yaxchilan, Mexico. 755 A.D. |
| Large Maya Vision Serpent
P-16P Large Maya Vision Serpent Size: 19.5"H (49.5cm)Type: Wall Plaque Material: Hydrostone Finish: Antique Finish with Color Detail Price: $170 |
 |
Large Maya Vision Serpent
P-16 Maya Vision Serpent Size: 19.5"H (49.5cm)Type: Wall Plaque Material: Hydrostone Finish: Antique Stone Price: $101 |
 |
More Pre-Columbian Aztec and Mayan Art: Maya Tablet of the Foliated Tree of Life, Chac Mool, Aztec Moon Goddess (Coyolxauhqui), Maya King Pacal, King Chan-Bahlun, Toltec Atlantean Warrior
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