Aztec Double-Headed Serpent (Detail)

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Aztec Double-Headed Serpent (Detail) Download Full Size Image

A detail of the celebrated Aztec double-headed serpent. It is made from wood covered in turquoise mosaic, spondylus (red) and conch (white) shell. The eyes would have been rendered with inlay, probably of iron pyrite. The piece is believed to have been part of a ceremonial costume, worn as a pectoral. The snake was a potent image in Aztec religion and strongly associated with several deities, notably Quetzalcoatl. 15th-16th century CE. (British Museum, London)

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Cite This Work

APA Style

Museum, B. (2014, January 03). Aztec Double-Headed Serpent (Detail). World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2199/aztec-double-headed-serpent-detail/

Chicago Style

Museum, British. "Aztec Double-Headed Serpent (Detail)." World History Encyclopedia, January 03, 2014. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2199/aztec-double-headed-serpent-detail/.

MLA Style

Museum, British. "Aztec Double-Headed Serpent (Detail)." World History Encyclopedia, 03 Jan 2014, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2199/aztec-double-headed-serpent-detail/.

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