Coronation Stone of Moctezuma Xocoyotzin
Aztec (Mexica)
1503
Medium
Basalt
Dimensions
67.4 × 57.8 × 22.9 cm (26 1/2 × 22 3/4 × 9 in.)
Classification
ceremonial object
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
75644
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The Mexicas, or Aztec Empire, ruled central Mexico from 1428 until 1521. This monument uses glyphs to record the history of the Mexica universe up to 1503. On the back, 1 Rabbit represents the beginning of time. On the front, the four previous cosmic eras are inscribed in the corners, while the current cosmic era 4 Movement appears in the center. 1 Crocodile (above) and 11 Reed (in the square frame) indicate the date July 15, 1503, when the ninth emperor Moctezuma Xocoyotzin was coronated. Just ...