izcahuitli (FCbk11f69r)

izcahuitli (FCbk11f69r)
Iconography

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This iconographic example, featuring edible fly larva (izcahuitli, or, with the glottal stop, izcahuihtli), is included in this digital collection for the purpose of making comparisons with related hieroglyphs. The term selected for this example comes from the text near the image in the Digital Florentine Codex. There is no gloss, per se. This example is divided into two. On the left is a woven basket of eggs, presumably intending to show the larvae that has been collected and prepared for sale. It is set hovering above a landscape; the landscape suggests European artistic influence. On the right is a body of water, presumably a lake, with lines of current showing four whirlpools. On the water is a wooden rake that is apparently gathering together a group of larvae for the purpose of harvesting it. These larvae were a source of food.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

This digital collection does not have other examples yet (October 2025) of izcahuitli. But they may appear as hieroglyphs are harvested from additional manuscripts. The technological evidence here, of the basket and the rake, are also useful. A basket and a piece of wood are shown below. There are many wooden objects in this collection, and “Wooden” is a choice in the Advanced Search under Cultural Content. “Woven” is another search option.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

Izcavitli

Gloss/Text Normalization:

izcahuitli

Gloss/Text Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Florentine/Florentinus, Codex (FC)

Date of Manuscript:

1577

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Mexico City

Syntax:

noun(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Animals: Insects & Bugs

Food, Eating, Cooking

Marine, Maritime, Lacustrine

Technology (all types), plus Tools

Water

Wood, wooden things

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

Shapes and Perspectives:

spiraling, swirling, coiling, curling

woven

Other Cultural Influences:

Spanish/European

Keywords:

canasta, canastas, rastrillo, rastrillos, larva, larvas, comida

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

izcahui(tli), fly larva, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/izcahuitli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

la larva de moscas

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Digital Florentine Codex/Códice Florentino Digital, edited by Kim N. Richter and Alicia Maria Houtrouw, "Book 11: Earthly Things", fol. 69r, Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/11/folio69r/images/0 Accessed 16 October 2025.

Image Source, Rights:

Images of the digitized Florentine Codex are made available under the following Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International). For print-publication quality photos, please contact the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana ([email protected]). The Library of Congress has also published this manuscript, using the images of the World Digital Library copy. “The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse.”

Historical Contextualizing Image: