ticitl (FCbk11f169v)

ticitl (FCbk11f169v)
Iconography

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This iconographic example, featuring a physician (ticitl or tepatiani/tepahtiani), is included in this digital collection for the purpose of making comparisons with related hieroglyphs. The term selected for this example comes from the keywording in the Digital Florentine Codex. There is no gloss. This example shows two men wearing white, cotton, belted, tunics with long sleeves. They have no trousers and no shoes. The clothing is shaded, giving it a three dimensionality (showing European artistic influence). One man, the patient, is sitting on the ground. The physician or healer is laying his hands on the head of the person that is sick. Nearby is a large maguey (metl) plant, and apparently the medicine being used in this scene comes from the maguey. Between the two men is a flat bowl sitting on three hearth stones, with flames coming up around the bowl. This small fire was probably used for heating or cooking the medicine. The text near this image discusses the recipe for making a white octli (pulque) from the maguey and how to administer it. It is important to note that, while this ticitl is a male, on folio 170r shows a female healer administering metl medicine to a woman.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

This is the secOND iconographic example of drawings or paintings of physicians or healers. Hieroglyphs in this collection relating to healing tend to use the term tlama, the occupation of physician or surgeon. The glyphs typically include a ceramic jug with what may be various medical instruments poking out of the top or at least the top of a spoon handle. The visuals may eventually be plentiful enough to cast light on the subtleties illuminating the differences between the various medical professions.

Added 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:

Textiles, Clothing, Hats, Regalia

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

Shapes and Perspectives:

shading and parallel line hatching

three-dimensionality

Other Cultural Influences:

Spanish/European

Keywords:

médicos, curandero, curanderos, medicinas, magueyes

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

tici(tl), physician or healer, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/ticitl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

el médico

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. 169v, Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/11/folio/169v/images/0 Accessed 16 November 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: