tzoncalli (TK222r)

This painted example of iconography features a multicolored headdress that we are labeling a tzoncalli, based on the Spanish-language gloss, “los penachos.”) This tzoncalli features a coiled rattle snake (what we would call a coatl, although it is not glossed as such) in red with gold spots. Its head is shown in a profile view facing left. Its bifurcated tongue is protruding. It seems to be wrapped around something gold with red U-shapes, but it is difficult to tell what it is. Also, above the snake appears to be something red with stone-like curly edges, and below on the left is the same kind of thing in a dark green. The upper part of the tzoncalli is a green oval with more than a dozen small gold discs around it. The bottom part of the headdress has a horizontal row of more gold discs and then rows of horizontal stripes in blue, red, gold, and green. The discs are outlined in red. Finally, what appears to be a red leather strip hangs down below the stripes. Two similar serpents on headdresses appear on folio 227 verso. In fact that page has six to eight tzoncalli in all. And more follow on f. 228r.