Containers of power: The Tlaloc vessels of the Templo Mayor as embodiments of the Aztec rain god

Abstract

This project aims to categorize the vessels representing the Aztec rain god, Tlaloc, relate them to themes of Aztec cosmovision through outside sources, and situate these objects within the larger corpus of Aztec art. Until now, the Tlaloc vessels found in the Templo Mayor excavations have not been discussed as a group, and analysis has been limited to studies on individual objects. Thus, this project fills a need for a more holistic approach, gathering and analyzing the entire corpus of objects. By first organizing the vessels into distinct groups, an in depth examination and description of each object produces a catalogue of different variations by which the guise of Tlaloc is constructed. Differences in iconographic representation and type of media show that choices were made to exhibit Tlaloc’s features in a particular way, and several factors may account for this variation. Contextual analysis of the objects allows for a discussion about the possibilities of why such iconographic choices were made. Because almost all of the objects discussed in this project were found during the excavations of the Templo Mayor, the ritual use and cultural significance of the objects can be inferred by their specific placement within the offering themselves. Further comparison with written accounts and illustrated manuscripts from the early colonial period corroborate these connotations. Finally, many of Tlaloc’s attributes are similar to those of other Aztec deities. These relationships may provide insight into how or why the Aztecs bestowed significance on these attributes and how they evoked associations between the deity groups who interacted in the sacred space of the Templo Mayor. I argue that the depiction of Tlaloc’s PREVIEW 2 face on the vessels, their spatial and relational placement in the offerings, and their description in the colonial accounts all suggest that vessels were fundamental representations of Tlaloc, specifically embodying the power Tlaloc possessed to bring nourishing rain and water to the Valley of Mexico. Furthermore, I will provide evidence that Tlaloc was thus conceived of as a mountain, and the form of the vessel represented this identification.