Marqués (Osu34v)

Marqués (Osu34v)
Simplex Hieroglyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This painted simplex Nahuatl hieroglyph represents a Spaniard who held the title of Marqués. It could be don Hernando Cortés or perhaps his son, don Martín Cortés, who both held the title. The gloss says "marquesadoc" (marquesado, with an intrusive "c"), which refers to the jurisdiction in which the local town (in this case, Coyohuacan) was located, paying its tributes in kind and in labor to the Marqués. The chest and shoulder of this man are shown in a 3/4 view, while his head is in a profile view, facing the viewer's right. He wears a green cloak with the collar of a white shirt showing around his neck. He also has a brown hat with two large white feathers or plumes coming out of it. The feathers seem to be attached to the had with a gold pin. The marquis's chin is outlined with a thin dark beard.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

See below for other examples of the marqués and specifically of Cortés when he is remembered as still just a capitán (captain). He got the title of Marqués in 1529. The fact that some of the Spaniards wore feathers in their hats was probably not lost on the Nahuas, whose highest leaders, such as Moteuczoma wore feathered headdresses.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image: 
Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription: 

marquesadoc

Gloss/Text Normalization: 

marquesado

Gloss/Text Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Osuna, Codex (Osu)
Date of Manuscript: 

1551–1565

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Mexico City

Semantic Categories: 
title/office
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Writing Features: 
simplex or element as logogram
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Colonialism (Spanish)
Feathers
Politics, Power, Governance
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
brown
green (light)
tan
white/neutral
Shapes and Perspectives: 
3/4 view
facing right
profile view
Other Cultural Influences: 
Spanish/European
Keywords: 

pluma, plumas, sombrero, sombreros, barba, barbas, autoridad, autoridades, gobernación, tributo, tributos, título, títulos

Glyph or Iconographic Image: 
Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s): 

Cortés, a Spanish surname, e.g do Hernando Cortés, conquistador, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/Cort%C3%A9s

Image Source: 

Library of Congress Online Catalog and the World Digital Library, Osuna Codex, or Painting of the Governor, Mayors, and Rulers of Mexico, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_07324/. The original is located in the Biblioteca Nacional de España.

Image Source, Rights: 

"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." But please cite the Biblioteca Nacional de España and this Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs if you use any of these images here or refer to the content on this page, providing the URL

Orthography: 
intrusive "c"
Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Marqués (FCbk12f54r)

Cortés (LTlaxUT1a)

Cortés (LTlaxUT2b)

Atl Ihuetziyan (LTlaxUT1b)

tetlapaloliztli (FCbk8f13r)