motlaltocani (FCbk10f12v)

This iconographic example, featuring a noble who “buries himself,” or, in other words, does not seek the limelight or praise (motlaltocani), is included in this digital collection for the purpose of making possible 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 shows a man lying on his right side, on the ground, fully clothed, but surrounded by black dirt or mud. He is cupping his hands together in the dirt or mud. Green grass extends beyond the mud, making it seem as though the man has tried to bury himself in the mud. He wears a long-sleeve, belted tunic, apparently a style that imitated some of the clothing of the Spanish colonizers. The contextualizing image shows two other men near him, and they seem to be having a good time (in contrast).