tlaxcalli (LTlaxUT2b)

tlaxcalli (LTlaxUT2b)
Simplex Hieroglyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This simplex Nahuatl hieroglyph features the maize cake called a tortilla (tlaxcalli). The image actually shows four bowls of tortillas. These were part of the supplies provided to the Spanish expeditionary party that was about to march against Tenochtitlan with Tlaxcallan warriors. Tlaxcalli, turkey eggs (totoltecciztli), and turkeys all appear in the contextualizing image as part of the provisions being given to the Spaniards.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

Over time, Spaniards would become accustomed to eating maize “bread” as they called it, but they would continue to prefer wheat bread for a long time. At this point in the expedition, they were happy to receive whatever food they could get from the Tlaxcalteca. These tortillas, being shown stacked in bowls, might not actually be hieroglyphs, given that glyphs usually show only one tortilla. This individual tortilla, however, will sometimes be accompanied by the hand or hands that would patting it into its classic round shape. Some of the tortillas below have double hash marks which seem to be a kind of signature for maize.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

tlaxcalli.

Gloss/Text Normalization:

tlaxcalli

Gloss/Text Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Tlaxcala, Lienzo de, UT (LTlaxUT)

Date of Manuscript:

1540s

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Tlaxcala and other parts of early Mexico

Syntax:

noun(s)

Writing Features:

simplex or element as logogram

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Containers, Dishes, Eating Utensils

Corn, Maize

Food, Eating, Cooking

Tributes, Taxation, Service

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Shapes and Perspectives:

frontal view

Keywords:

tortillas, pan, comida, tributo, tributos

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

tlacal(li), tortilla, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tortilla

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

tortilla

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Benson Latin American Collection, LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections, The University of Texas at Austin https://collections.lib.utexas.edu/catalog/utblac:3c754fd0-b27f-4af7-9cf...

Image Source, Rights:

The Benson Library has kindly provided the digital images and permission to put them into our Mapas Project in 2015. Use and reproduction from this project: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/, but please also cite the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, ed. Stephanie Wood, (Eugene, Ore.: Wired Humanities Projects, ©2020-present). Version 1.0.

Orthography:

intrusive period

Historical Contextualizing Image: