xamitl (FCbk11f230v)

This iconographic example, featuring adobe bricks (xamitl), is included in this digital collection for the purpose of making 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 black-ink sketch inside a rectangular box of a Nahua man standing, leaning over, with both hands holding onto a rectangular (probably wooden) frame around which an adobe brick is forming. The man is dressed in a belted tunic with his sleeves rolled up. He is not wearing shoes. The clothing style shows some European influence, and the shading of the cloth shows artistic influence. The scene shows two additional adobe bricks, one above and one below, already formed. The text (on the previous page and this one) explains that the material for making adobes is diatomite, a white mineral (atizatl). The text explains that atizatl is a fluffy, spongy, and airy substance that turns into chalk and is used primarily for making adobes. Above the man, at the top of the rectangle, is a dark gray sky-like band.