Codex Ixtlilxochitl Essay

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Alex Roby ARTH 4307 2/27/12 Codex Ixtlilxochitl Part One The post Aztec Codex Ixtlilxochitl was created after the Spanish invaded in 1519, which makes it a post – conquest manuscript. Most believe that a Nahuatl person painted it during the years 1568-1650 (Glass and Robertson 1975a: 171; Lesbre 1988: 97). Lesbre also states that in this codex there are elements of traditional glyphs, bidimensional perspectives or numerous stylistic weaknesses that suggest their author was indigenous (Lesbre 1988: 97). H.S. Reed believes that a Tezucan scholar, under the direction of a European teacher, was the one who created this codex in the year 1530 (Reed 1938: 66). The Codex Ixtlilxochitl was named after Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitl, who was a member of the ruling family of Texcoco. Alva was primarily concerned with the narrative as a record of pre-conquest events (“Aztec Codices” 2004; “Codex Ixtlilxochitl” 2001; Graz Codices 1993). This codex reflects the order of events of New Spain in the early colonial period. It portrays a much more European conception rather than Aztec in the way that it is styled. However, its focus is on the Aztec past (“Codex Ixtlilxochitl” 2001). The Ixtlilxochitl codex is much different in appearance than those created in earlier years. Rather than being a screen fold or a tira, this manuscript is a book composed of papers gathered into folios and bound together. The pages consist of European paper, which are made from the fibers of the maguey leaf (Reed 1938: 66). The full original manuscript is made up of seven folded leaves and each page measures to about 31.3 x 22.2 centimeters in size. The modern numbering for each page is from 93r – 122v, where the “r” stands for recto meaning the right page and the “v” stands for verso meaning the facing page. This book is to be read from left to right and surrounding each page is a white border.

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