xochitl (CQ)

xochitl (CQ)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This simplex glyph for flower (xochitl) has been carved from the personal name of an elite indigenous woman, Macuilli Xochitl (9-Flower), which is also a date. The flower is upright with three visible (red) petals and a white tripartite sepal. The sepal has a horizontal black line toward the bottom, and an upside-down black V-shape line cuts across the base of the flower, reaching up to the middle petal.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The design of this flower differs considerably from flowers in other codices, which shows the broad range of flower paintings that were possible. See below.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Quetzalecatzin, Codex (CQ)
Date of Manuscript: 

covers ruling men and women of Tecamachalco through 1593

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

southern Puebla state

Semantic Categories: 
calendrics
day name
personal name
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Writing Features: 
simplex or element as logogram
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Flowers
Gender (female)
Plants, Flora
Time, Calendar, Frequency
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Colors: 
red
white/neutral
Shapes and Perspectives: 
circle, circular or rounded
tripartite
vertical, upright
Other Cultural Influences: 
Mixtec
Keywords: 

flowers, las flores, plants, las plantas

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

xochi(tl), flower, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xochitl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

la flor

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Randall Rodríguez

Image Source: 

The Codex Quetzalecatzin, aka Mapa de Ecatepec-Huitziltepec, Codex Ehecatepec-Huitziltepec, or Charles Ratton Codex. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017590521/

Image Source, Rights: 

The Library of Congress, current custodian of this pictorial Mexican manuscript, hosts a digital version online. It is not copyright protected.

Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Macuilli Xochitl (CQ)

xochitl (CQ)

xochitl (Mdz44r)

xochitl (Mdz42r)

macuilli (CQ)