#MesoAmericanArt
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patrickkapty.bsky.social
Standing figure wearing feathered costume
clay, pigments
circa 600-900 CE
Maya culture
Jaina Island, Yucatan, Mexico

#handmade #clay #pigment #figure #Maya #mayanpottery #jainaisland #islajaina #yucatan #mexico #ancientart #art #precolumbian #prehispanic #mesoamerica #mesoamericanart #tribalart
April 30, 2026 at 7:08 PM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
It’s #WorldParrotDay 🦜!
Vessel in the form of a #parrot,
300 BCE - 400 CE
Comala style, Late Formative Period, Colima, W. Mexico
Ceramic w/ red slip
18.5 × 30.5 × 14 cm (7 5/16 × 12 × 5 1/2 in.)
On display @ Princeton University Art Museum (2016-1239)
#BirdsInArt #MesoamericanArt #IndigenousArt
photo of the parrot effigy vessel on display at museum
May 31, 2026 at 11:02 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
Maya Hacha
carved stone
c. 800-1300 CE
Mayan culture
Guatemala

An eagle perched on top of a skull.

#precolumbian #mayanculture #Maya #hacha #axe #handmade #carved #stone #guatemala #eagle #skull #sacrificial #ritual #religion #ancientart #mesoamerica #ancientculture #mesoamericanart #mayanart
April 15, 2026 at 5:13 PM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
#FrogFriday 🐸:
#Frog Pendant
Mezcala, Guerrero, Mexico
100 BCE - 300 CE
Rock crystal; 1.7 x 2.6 cm (11/16 x 1 in.)
Cleveland Museum of Art 1995.98
www.clevelandart.org/art/1995.98
#IndigenousArt #MesoamericanArt
Official museum photo, top down profile on gradient grey background small pendant in the form of a frog carved from rock crystal
December 13, 2025 at 4:08 AM
cheeyuh.bsky.social
Updated Olmec

I'm fascinated by the giant Olmec heads so I thought I'd give one a little update.

#inkdrawing #penandink #traditionalart
#art #artsky
#olmec #mesoamericanart
August 26, 2026 at 3:55 AM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
Where are my #CrabTime & #Crustmas fans at - look at this little guy 😂
Land #Crab Effigy Vessel
Colima culture, E. Mexico, Proto-Classical, 100 BCE - 250 CE
Redware ceramic w/ brick red slip, black oxides
H17 x W18 x D20.5 cm
www.giquelloetassocies.fr/en/lot/10121...
#MesoAmericanArt #IndigenousArt
official auction photo of the crab effigy vessel, redware ceramic, globular body standing on 8 legs with two claws and incised face details, single spout on top closeup of the adorably serious face and raised claws resembling the “what do you want” Italian hand gesture - expecting lots of “Italian crab” jokes as a result LOL
December 30, 2025 at 4:38 AM
kaushik2072.bsky.social
Daily sketch — Aztec eagle from my sketchbook.

#Sketchbook #DailySketch #AztecEagle #BallpointDrawing #AztecArt #SketchbookArt #PenAndInk #MesoamericanArt #DrawingDaily #ArtSketchbook #EagleWarrior #AncientArt
August 11, 2025 at 5:21 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
Ancient Olmec jade maskette with elongated head
Early formative 1200-900 BCE

#olmec #prehispanic #precolumbian #mesoamericanart #ancientart #ancientartoftheamericas #carved #jade #maskette #BCE #art
Ancient Olmec jade maskette circa 900 BCE
February 23, 2025 at 5:45 PM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
It’s #WorldParrotDay 🦜!
Gourd vessel with birds ( #parrots ) as legs
200 BCE - 200 CE
Colima culture, Late Preclassic Period, Colima, W. Mexico
Ceramic w/ red slip
25.3 x 34.0 cm
On display @ Princeton University Art Museum (2016-1418)
#BirdsInArt #MesoAmericanArt #IndigenousArt
photo of the ceramic vessel on display at museum form of a gourd with tripod legs on the form of parrots closeup of one of the parrot tripod feet
May 31, 2026 at 11:08 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
Lifeless Human Face (fragment)
modeled clay
c. 600-900 CE
Veracruz culture
Mexico

#lifeless #human #face #fragment #Veracruzculture #mesoamerica #prehispanic #precolumbianart #sculpture #art #mesoamericanart #ceramic #precolumbianceramics #clay #lateclassicperiod #museoamparo #puebla #mexico
From the Museo Amparo in Mexico... It is evident that, beginning in the early Classic period (ca. 350 AD) on the Gulf of Mexico coast, ceramics associated with the Teotihuacan cultural sphere began to appear locally. Accompanying this was a willingness among the elites to adopt this style—which was spreading across much of Mesoamerica—as represented by vessels and figurines featuring forms previously unseen in the region. These changes originating in central Mexico likely influenced the ritual practices of the ruling classes, as they fostered local imitation and ultimately led to the incorporation of these novel products into their own ceremonial activities.
July 10, 2026 at 4:47 PM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
#Rabbit Effigy Vessel
Mexico, Southern Veracruz, Classic Veracruz Culture, 600-900 CE
Ceramic, H 15.4 x L 15.7 x W 8.2 cm
On display at Penn Museum 68-30-1
#MesoamericanArt #IndigenousArt
photo of the rabbit effigy vessel with label on display at museum - unpainted tan pottery with chipped spout
September 5, 2024 at 3:03 AM
srbigbear.bsky.social
Coyolxauhqui

#ArteDigital #Ilustración #DibujoHechoAMano #ArteHistórico #Coyolxauhqui #MexicaGoddess #AztecMythology #PrehispanicArt #MexicanCulture #AncientMexico #MoonGoddess #AztecHistory #MesoamericanArt #TempleMayor #AztecLegend #Coyolxauhqui #DiosaMexica #MitologíaMexica
February 4, 2025 at 4:43 AM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
For #FrogFriday, another cool #MesoamericanBallgame piece seen at @explorenoma.bsky.social :
Stone #Frog Yoke
Veracruz Culture, Gulf Coast Mexico, c. 600-900 CE
NOMA 2001. 338
#MesoamericanArt #IndigenousArt
#HSS2025
photo of the frog form yoke in display case, front view (ceremonial version of Mesoamerican Ballgame gear) photo of the frog form yoke in display case, side view (ceremonial version of Mesoamerican Ballgame gear)
November 15, 2025 at 5:54 AM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
#Armadillo Mortar
Aztec culture, Central Mexico, Postclassic, ca. 14th to early 16th c.
Stone, red pigment
3.8" L x 7" W x 5.5" H (35.1 x 17.8 x 14 cm)
www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2238825...
#IndigenousArt #MesoamericanArt
“An Aztec stone mortar carved in the form of an armadillo transforms a utilitarian vessel into a sculptural meditation on earth, protection, and ritual practice. The animal is rendered with a low, rounded body and carefully incised bands that evoke the segmented armor of the armadillo, while the head projects forward with quiet alertness. At the center of the back, a deep circular cavity forms the grinding bowl, seamlessly integrated into the creature's body. The armadillo was closely associated with the earth and the underworld in Mesoamerican thought, admired for its burrowing behavior and natural armor. Its ability to move between surface and subterranean realms linked it symbolically to fertility, regeneration, and hidden forces beneath the soil. These qualities made the animal an apt form for ritual and domestic implements connected to preparation, transformation, and offerings. The interior of the mortar retains traces of red pigment, possibly cinnabar, a mercury-based mineral widely used in Mesoamerica for ritual, symbolic, and funerary purposes. Cinnabar was associated with blood, life force, and sacred renewal, and its presence here suggests the mortar may have been used for preparing pigments, medicines, or ritual substances rather than ordinary foodstuffs. Carved from dense stone and elevated on short feet, the vessel balances stability with sculptural presence. It embodies the Aztec tendency to animate functional objects with cosmological meaning, blurring the line between tool and effigy. Both grounded and expressive, this armadillo mortar is a compelling example of how daily practice, ritual knowledge, and animal symbolism converged in Aztec material culture.”
January 31, 2026 at 7:29 AM
onicoatl.bsky.social
Sketch of a mesoamerican pyramid and two Quetzalcoatl heads on each side. This is gonna be a multi day piece. #art #mesoamericanart #quetzalcoatl
July 23, 2026 at 9:16 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
Incredibly modern but made by an Aztec artisan over 600 years ago!

#aztec #carved #obsidian #art #artwork #tribalart #archeology #aztecart #mesoamericanart #mexico #ancientmexico #precolumbian #prehispanic #aztecskull #rebirth #cyclical #lifeanddeath #diadelosmuertos #remembrance
For the Aztecs, skulls held profound spiritual significance, symbolizing death, rebirth, and the continuation of life. They were used in rituals to honor the dead, displayed as trophies, and believed to represent the "seeds" that ensured humanity's continued existence. Skulls were also incorporated into art and architecture, reflecting the Aztecs' complex beliefs about the afterlife and the cyclical nature of life and death. Aztecs believed in a cyclical view of life and death, where death was not an end but a transition to another realm. Skulls, as reminders of mortality, were seen as a gateway to the afterlife and the renewal of life. The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), which has roots in ancient Aztec rituals, continues to use skulls as a symbol of honoring the deceased and their return.
April 23, 2025 at 3:16 PM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
For #InternationalJaguarDay :
Reclining #Jaguar, c.1400-1521
#Aztec artist, Mexico
Volcanic stone
From Brooklyn Museum’s “Climate in Crisis: Environmental Change in the Indigenous Americas” exhibition (2023)
#MesoamericanArt #IndigenousArt
photo of the jaguar stone sculpture and its label on display at museum “Aztec artist Reclining Jaguar, 1400-1521 Mexico Volcanic stone Carli H. de Silver Fund, 38.45 The Aztec Empire, centered in the Valley of Mexico, existed from 1325 until the Spanish conquest of 1521. This reclining jaguar is an excellent example of Aztec naturalistic sculpture. Every part of the animal is carefully rendered, including the underside, where the paw pads are carved in low relief. To the Aztec, the jaguar symbolized power, courage, and a warlike attitude. Some of the highest-ranking warriors were called jaguar warriors, and rulers associated themselves with Tezcatlipoca, a deity who sometimes assumed the guise of this powerful predator.”
November 30, 2025 at 4:14 AM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
#FabricFriday:
Wall Hanging - Tenango Embroidery
Otomi culture, Hildago, Mexico, 20th c.
Cotton, 77 1/2 x 72 in. (194.32 x 182.88 cm)
Mingei International Museum 2007-49-058B
mingei.org/collections/...
collections.mingei.org/objects-1/in...
#IndigenousArt #MesoamericanArt
#FolkArt #AnimalsInArt
“Embroidered in a style known as tenango, this intricate textile reflects long-established Otomi needlework traditions and the ingenuity of its artist. This style can be traced to the community of San Nicolas in the municipality of Tenango de Doria in Hidalgo, Mexico. In the 1960s, the Otomi, known as the Ñuhu or Hñähñu, developed this new commercial embroidery technique to generate revenue in response to a severe drought that caused an economic crisis. Today, the textiles continue to provide revenue for the community of San Nicolas, revered by tourists and all those who appreciate the skill and craftsmanship of these beautiful hand-embroidered textiles. Some of the motifs, embroidered on the front of the fabric using a satin stitch, are said to be derived from cave or cliff paintings in the area, while others are drawn from everyday life. In this textile, bold, graphic designs of flora and fauna, cats, deer, rabbits, armadillos, turkeys, parrots and mythical hybrid animals joyfully reside together, animating the wall hanging.”
February 21, 2026 at 5:50 AM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
Vessel in the form of a #dog,
Comala style, Colima, W. Mexico
Late Formative Period, 300 BCE - 400 CE
Burnished ceramic w/ red slip
On display @ Princeton University Art Museum (2015-6691)
#DogsInArt #MesoamericanArt #IndigenousArt
photo of the Colima dog effigy vessel on display at museum Photo of the gallery label “Comala style, Late Formative Period Colima, Mexico Vessel in the form of a dog, 300 BCE-400 CE Burnished ceramic with red slip Gift of Virginia and Bagley Wright Jr., Class of 1946 (2015-6691) This two-thousand-year-old ceramic dog is a testament to the enduring relationship between humans and dogs. It's fascinating to consider that our appreciation and respect for animals are sentiments shared with our distant ancestors. While some theories suggest that these sculptures were interred in tombs as symbols of food, I prefer to view the serene posture of this figure as a depiction of companionship: the canine likeness being laid beside her entombed human to accompany them for eternity. Her peaceful sleeping posture is reminiscent of my own dog curled up in her bed. The resemblance may not be coincidental. Identifying the breed is challenging; it might depict a Xoloitzcuintli or an extinct Techichi. Yet I like to imagine it as a Chihuahua, echoing part of the ancestry of my own mixed-breed canine companion. Peter S. Chapman, Medical Director, BluePearl Pet Hospital, Levittown, PA”
May 31, 2026 at 11:45 PM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
Dish with #deer
Los Tuxtlas, Matacapan or vicinity, Ignacio de la Llave, Veracruz
Late Classic Period to Epiclassic Period (probably Matacapan phase F), 650-1000
Ceramic w/ polychrome slip-paint
On display @ Princeton University Art Museum (2020-359)
#MesoamericanArt #IndigenousArt
photo of the gallery label: “Los Tuxtlas, Late Classic Period to Epiclassic Period (probably Matacapan phase F) Matacapan or vicinity, Ignacio de la Llave, Veracruz Dish with deer, 650-1000 Ceramic with polychrome slip-paint Museum purchase, Gillett G. Griffin Art of the Ancient Americas Fund (2020-359) Animals frequently grace the interiors of Los Tuxtlas bowls, with birds, snakes, and monkeys all common, but only three are known to depict deer. Although the figure is highly stylized, with a sausage-like body, its white underbelly and tail suggest it is a white-tailed deer. Volutes in white and red extend from the deer's nose and ear while a red projection with clustered white dots flows beneath the belly. The lolling tongue and red flow from the belly may indicate a sacrificed animal or one hunted, perhaps to be eaten from this very vessel. The colorful palette and several aspects of the geometric designs adorning the vessel's walls are similar to designs in contemporaneous Maya plates, likely reflecting increased interaction between the Maya and coastal Veracruz cultures during the so-called Epiclassic period.”
June 1, 2026 at 12:13 AM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
#TextileTuesday:
Cloth (Manta), 1970s (collected 1978)
Otomí culture, Tenango de Doria, Hidalgo, Mexico
Factory-made calico/cotton, embroidered in satin stitch (Tenago embroidery)
L 98 x W 173 cm
British Museum Am1978,15.154
www.britishmuseum.org/collection/o...
#IndigenousArt #MesoamericanArt
"Cloth; made of factory-made calico/cotton; rectangle of off-white cloth (manta in Spanish) embroidered in satin stitch with multicoloured cotton thread; motifs include sun at centre, turkey above peacock at right, butterfly and two animals at left, fish above sun, flower to right, animal with plant in mouth below." "Smaller cloths were initially used locally as servilletas, but in recent years larger ones have been made for sale. See Sayer, Chloë. Mexican Costume. London: British Museum Press, 1985 p. 159. Objects collected during the 1970s by Chloë Sayer and Marcos Ortiz. They were exhibited in 1977-1978 at the Horniman Museum, and later acquired by the British Museum."
January 27, 2026 at 11:52 PM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
#MetalMonday:
#Rabbit Mask
Guerrero Nahua (Mexico)
1940-1960
Copper, cotton cloth, paint
26.5 x 18.2 cm
Smithsonian NMAI 24/5904
#MesoamericanArt #IndigenousArt
copper maskette of a rabbit head with wirework features and yellow and red paint, on blue background, photographed on display at museum
March 5, 2024 at 7:25 AM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
For #RattlesnakeAppreciationDay :
1. #Rattlesnake
#Aztec , 1200-1520 CE
Rhyolite porphyry
2. #Snake Head
Aztec, 1200-1520 CE
Serpentine (very fitting!)
both on display at Dumbarton Oaks
#IndigenousArt #MesoamericanArt
photo of sculpture on a pedestal display at museum - large coiled rattlesnake photo of sculpture mounted on display at museum - carved snake head and label: “Rattlesnakes are frequent subjects in Aztec stonework. This carving is one of the most realistic known, and was probably part of a coiled snake sculpture like those on display in this gallery. Throughout Mesoamerica, serpents were strongly associated with the sky and celestial bodies, as well as water and earth.”
January 29, 2025 at 2:32 AM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
#TurtleTuesday 🐢:
#Turtle Vessel
Colima culture, Mexico, 100BCE - 250CE
Ceramic, redware pottery, 8 3/8 x 13 3/4 x 10 1/4 in. (21.3 x 34.9 x 26 cm)
Minneapolis Institute of Art 95.101.1
collections.artsmia.org/art/9056/ves...
#IndigenousArt #MesoamericanArt
official museum photo of the object, side profile on grey background: redware pottery single spout effigy vessel in the form of a turtle, with shell decorated with white lines and hatching making a checkerboard like pattern, standing upright on four long legs, small curled tail visible on back, incised diamond shaped eyes, and mouth carved out in the shape of a cute smile
December 18, 2024 at 7:06 AM
animal-aspects.bsky.social
Sharing this infographic from INAH Oaxaca with 3 #jaguar sculptures from the collection for #InternationalJaguarDay!
#IndigenousArt #MesoamericanArt
infographic from INAH Oaxaca in Spanish with 3 jaguar sculptures from the collection “JAGUAR SIMBOLISMO El jaguar fue el dios tutelar de los zapotecas prehispánicos quienes lo nombraban Pitao peche. Los gobernantes son presentados vestidos con la piel, cabeza e incluso la cola del jaguar, simbolizando liderazgo y fuerza política. Los habitos crepusculares del felino y la capacidad visual en las penumbras, lo asociaron con lo nocturno, lo negro y la muerte. Su destreza como cazador fue relacionada con la guerra, siendo el prototipo deseado de los combatientes. Ocelocuauhxicalli, Lugares INAH. IMPORTANCIA AMBIENTAL No solo es un simbolo de poder y energia en muchas culturas latinoamericanas, sino que también juega un rol crucial en el mantenimiento del equilibrio ecológico de los ecosistemas que habita. Su presencia garantiza la protección indirecta de numerosas otras especies de flora y fauna. EN PELIGRO DE EXTINCIÓN Las causas son la deforestación, la pérdida y fragmentación de su hábitat, la caza y el atropellamiento. Su conservación implica proteger los bosques tropicales, humedales y otros habitats esenciales. Además, el comercio ilegal de sus partes ha sido un factor histórico en la disminución de sus números. Aunque la demanda internacional ha disminuido, los mercados ilegales continúan siendo una amenaza considerable. Jaguar de barro. Mediateca INAH. Jaguar Portaestandarte. Mediateca INAH. INFORMACIÓN: https://mediateca.inah.gob.mx/islandora_74/islandora/object/objetoprehispanico%3A23944 https://unamglobal.unam.mx/global_revista/dia-internacional-del-jaguar/#:~:text=compartir%20en%3A,este%20emblem%C3%Altic 0%20felino%20de%20Latinoam%C3%A9rica. https://www.fundacionunam.org.mx/ecopuma/alerta-unam-sobre-mayor-peligro-de-extincion-del-jaguar/ INAH OAXACA”
November 30, 2025 at 3:28 AM