Aztec Double-Headed Serpent (Detail)

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Illustration

Mark Cartwright
by British Museum
published on 03 January 2014
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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References

Cite This Work

APA Style

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

Chicago Style

Museum, British. "Aztec Double-Headed Serpent (Detail)." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified 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. World History Encyclopedia, 03 Jan 2014. Web. 26 Jul 2024.

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