coyolli (LTlaxUT2)

This iconographic example is included here for possible comparisons with Nahuatl hieroglyphs. It features an elaborate piece of gold jewelry with nine jingle bells (coyolli) hanging down at the bottom. There is no gloss naming the bells as coyolli; we are giving them this name based on other examples in this digital collection. There may be another row of bells or gold nieces with a similar shape just above the bells in this example. Above that row is a trapezoid with an internal border and, inside that, a horizontal row of three concentric circles. These circles are reminiscent of the signs for water droplets or chalchihuitl (green stone) beads. These signs also appear in horizontal rows below the roof tops on many rulers’ palaces (tecpan). The crowning glory of the piece of gold jewelry of focus here is a circular shape that looks like a sunflower or a sun with many rays, but at the center is a precious green or turquoise blue stone. This piece of treasure was presented by the Tlaxcallan tlatoque (plural of tlatoani, ruler) to Hernando Cortés, whether as tribute in kind or as a gift.