xihuitl (MH518r)

xihuitl (MH518r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This image of turquoise tesserae (xihuitl) duplicates the simplex glyph for the personal name Xiuhnel (MH518r).

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Huexotzinco, Matrícula de (MH)
Date of Manuscript: 

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Syntax: 
noun(s)
visual plural (multiples of objects)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Turquoise or Jadeite
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
blue (turquoise)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
frontal view
Keywords: 

turquesa, teselas

Museum/Rare Book/Realia Comparisons: 
Museum/Rare Book/Realia Notes: 

This is a detail from a skull that is partially covered with turquoise tesserae. It was found in Tomb 7 at Monte Albán, Oaxaca. It is roughly contemporaneous with Aztec art involving turquoise pieces. The skull is on display at the Museum of Cultures, Santo Domingo, in Oaxaca city. Photograph by Stephanie Wood, 24 January 2026.

Glyph or Iconographic Image: 
Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s): 

xihui(tl), herbs, greens, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xihuitl-0

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

turquesa

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 518r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=115&st=image

Image Source, Rights: 

This manuscript is hosted by the Library of Congress and the World Digital Library; used here with the Creative Commons, “Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License” (CC-BY-NC-SAq 3.0).

Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Xiuhnel (MH518r)

xihuitl (MH483r)

xihuitl (MH497v)

xihuitl (MH513r)

xihuitl (MH634v)