mecamaxalli (FCbk8f31v)

mecamaxalli (FCbk8f31v)
Iconography

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This iconographic example, featuring a divided or forked rope (mecamaxalli), is included in this digital collection for the purpose of making potential comparisons with related hieroglyphs. The term selected for this example comes from the text that is near the image. This example shows a length of rope that is white and twisted, plus doubled and looped, resting in a horizontal position. This rope was used by weavers employing the backstrap loom. It tied the loom to a tree or post, connecting to the right and left side or the top horizontal piece of wood of the loom. At the other end was the neanoni, a belt that attached to both sides of the lower-most piece of wood of the loom (also pictured in the contextualizing image).

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

This iconography of this loom rope aligns with many hieroglyphs that include a mecatl element. Also, while this collection contains many examples of textiles, as of summer 2025 it has yet to include an image of a woman using a backstrap loom.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

mecamaxalli

Gloss 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:

Gender (female)

Rope, cord, string

Technology (all types), plus Tools

Textiles, Clothing, Hats, Regalia

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

horizontal

tied, bound, or bundled

twisted or entwined

Keywords:

sogas, cordones, ropes, weaving, tejer, tejido, textiles, telar, telares, mujeres

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

mecamaxal(li), a divided or forked rope or cord, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/mecamaxalli
meca(tl), cord or rope, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/mecatl
maxal(li), something divided, forked, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/maxalli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

la soga dividida

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 8: Kings and Lords", fol. 31v, Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/8/folio/31v/images/0 Accessed 16 August 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: