Name/Title
EngravingEntry/Object ID
1986.10.012Description
Engravings from "Histoire Generale des Ceremonies", Benard Picart. Engraving on paper. Amsterdam, Holland. 1720-1730.
Three views on one sheet.
Top left view titled, "Captif Encorche Apres Avoir ete Vaincu". (Translation, "Captive flayed after having been over-powered". Depicts and man lying on ground, semi-nude, and appearing to be dead. Another man leaning over him wearing a robe and headdress, preparing to cut his chest with a knife. Behind them, a round building with an arched doorway has nine people in it standing around a round platform. On the platform sits a man with a headdress. Higher in the building is a window with a round cage in it. There is a person in the cage. In the farthest background is another building (nine windows and one door visible); two men are in front of it.
Top right view titled "Captif Combattant Contre un Pretre Mexicain". (Translation, "Captive Combatting a Mexican Priest".) Depicts a semi-nude, bald man with a shield on his arm fighting off a priest (?) wearing robes and headdress and carrying a sword and shield. In the background there are three buildings, one after the other, with windows and arched doorways. In front of the first building there are several people. To the left, a man with a headdress is kneeling on one knee. A priest (?) stands in the middle. To the right several other people stand, one with his hand stretched out in front of the priest. Between the second and third building, a man and a woman appear to be dancing. A person is visible in the arched doorway of the third building.
Bottom view titled, "Le Grand Temple de Vitsliputsli Dans la Ville de Mexique". (Translation, "The Great Temple of Vitsliputsli in the town of Mexico".) Depicts a panoramic view of a walled-in city. Many different types of building visible; palm trees in middle left section; roads; mountains in background. In the center of the view is a tall, temple-like structure with a tall, steep staircase on the front. On top are two dome-roofed structures. The is a large open plaza area around the temple with a few people scattered in different places. Row-like building form a wall around the plaza. In the very front , of the view are several buildings. To the right, they have yards with designs in them, and trees. To the left, there are other buildings, two with a wall around them. A few people can be seen. In the center is a structure with a tall, steep stairway leading to a platform on top. This platform has a type of railing, and on the back of it is another platform with an arched doorway. On top of this platform are four figures of humans wearing skirts. On the wall surrounding the large plaza are figures of snakes.Dimensions
Height
15 inWidth
9-3/8 inDimension Notes
Sheet: 15"x 9 3/8"
View: 5 7/8"x 4"
Top: 5 7/8x 8 1/8"