texancalli (Mdz70r)

This example of iconography from the Codex Mendoza shows a man in profile, facing toward the viewer's right. He is speaking, given that four turquoise-blue volutes or speech scrolls emerge from his mouth. To have the authority to speak was the right of a tlatoani, or ruler. He also sits on a woven mat and throne, which are symbols of governance. He wears a cape with a multi-colored border, a sign of high status. He is sitting in the entryway of a building (calli) that is white with T-shaped beams that are a terracotta color. The gloss says that this is a house where people gather for public works labor. The man is given the title "petlacalcatl," which is translated into Spanish as "mayordomo" (overseer). The location is said to be Texancalco, which is what prompted us to label the building a texancalli, a house where majordomos and stewards were housed.