DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE! OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC COLLECTIONS OF EUFEMIO ABADIANO. NEW ORLEANS : Franco-American Print, 102 Chartres Street. 1885. f- w V DESCRIPTIVE OF THE ARCH^OLOGICAL, HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC COLLECTIONS OF EUFEaiIO ABADIAXO. NEW OK LEANS: Franco-American Print, 102 Chartres Street, 1885, J REMARKS. Desirous that the monuments of American antiquity that are found scattered throughout the continent, many of which are now ready to be lost sight of, may be better known and studied by the scientific world, we have formed the project of gathering together in one grand collection their exact reproductions, along with everything in the way of publications and explanations relative thereto. The only records left us by the primitive races of this continent are their monuments, the archaeological value of the study of which needs not to be dwelt upon. They reveal to us the degree of scientific and artistic culture to which some of these peoples, apart entirely from all con- tact with the old world, had arrived. Our present collec- tion, brought together under innumerable difficulties and at great cost, while it is composed of the most valuable of American antiquities (comprising the most notable posses- sions of the National Museum of Mexico and monuments from various parts of that republic) is not yet as complete as we would desire, and will be added to in the future as opportunity may present. If we have committed errors in this catalogue in our ef- forts to throw a little light on these relics of ancient Amer- ican civilization there are those who are wiser than we that will detect them, and, we hope, will excuse them, tak- ing into account the little that is known as yet of Amer- ican archaeology. If the brief explanations here given, though most insufficient for the importance of the subject, serve to give to those unacquainted with ancient American history a slight knowledge of the civilization that flour- ished here in the past, and awaken a desire for further research on a topic so entertaining, we shall be content. EUFF.MIO ABADIANO. New Orleans. April 5, 1885. MEXICAN ANTIQUITIES. No. 1. Aztec Calendar Stone. Diameter, 3.35 metres, cylindrical part. Among the many deities adored by the Indians, the principal was the sun, to whom, like ancient nations of the old world, paid homage not only the Mexicans, but all the more civilized peoples of both Americas. In Mexico temples and pyramids were erected in his honor and reverence religiously paid him by all. Before his image sculptured on this stone in human form, at feasts in his worship, incense was burned, sacrifices offered up and prisoners slain, while the people, old and young, did penance, slitting their ears and drawing blood to propitiate themselves in his favor. (1) The mythology of the Mexicans, the source of all light on the study of their monuments, commences with the creation, the origin of their gods and the human race, one of the first legends of which is that of the four cosmo- gonical suns. They believed the sun had died four times, or that there had been four suns, each of which had ended in a universal cataclysm, and that the sun which still lighted them was the fifth — shown on the stone by the ceDtral figure, the four rectangular figures adjoining representing the four past suns. According to Gama, the stone is a calendar for that part of the year between the spring and autumnal equinox, showing all the various movements of the sun and the time at which should be celebrated the principal feasts of the nation, these latter corresponding nearly always to some celestial phenomenon. The figure made by the four rectangles in the center is also the well known sign of Nahui Ollin, or the four movements of the sun. The figures in the circle just outside of this represent the twenty days into which they divided their month, and the eight large angles in form of A their divisions of the day. Signs of the constellations are found by some in the outer circles. The stone served also as a sun-dial, by which the priests knew daily the hours for their ceremonies and sacrifices. Gno- mons or hands, the holes for which are still visible in the (1) Gama, p. 91. margin, were fixed above the stone, the time and move- ments of the sun being shown by their shadows. The weight of this monument is calculated at twenty- one tons, and as there is not to be found within twenty-five or thirty- miles of the Mexican capital a like class of stone, it is not easily imagined how the Mexicans moved a mass so enormous to their great temple. No. 2. Teoyoamiqui, or Goddess of Death. Height, 2.566 m.; width, 1.536 m. On the 13th of August, 1790, this statue was discovered in the main plaza of the city of Mexico, where it had lain interred since the time of tlie conquest. It is the opinion of Humboldt (1) that this and other idols were buried by the soldiers of Cortez to hide them from the sight of the Aztecs, it is inferred, that they might the more readily forget them and embrace the Christian faith ; but it is more logical to suppose that they were hidden beneath the earth by the Aztecs themselves in the latter days of the siege of their capital to prevent them from falling into the hands of the conquerors. The same illustrious author cited above opines that much light might be thrown on the an- cient civilization of the Americans by making excavations in the environs of the Cathedral, near which was the main square of the antique city of Tenochitlan and the market Tlaltelolco, whither the Mexicans in the last days of the. siege retired with their household gods, their sacred books and all the more valuable of their possessions. It is seen by the breast that this statue represents a woman ; her face substituted by the heads of two snakes, whose bodies twine both in and around her person ; her skirt formed of many snakes: around her neck, a collar composed alternately of hands and pouches containing incense for the gods; and lastly a human skull at hei waist in front and a like one behind. The statue in its original position was supported by two pillars beneath the elbows, leaving the ba,se free of the ground, and on the bottom is engraved a figure like that found on the image of Mictlanteuhtli. The statue is, says Gama, a compendium of many divin- ities, representing principally the goddess Teoyoamiqui, (1) Vues des Cordilleres. whose office it was to gather in the souls of those killed in battle, it being supposed that their souls went to the man- sion of the sun in heaven, being transformed after a certain time to humming-birds. Chavero holds that it represents the earth-god Coatlicue. (1) No. 3. Mictlanteulitli. Diameter, 1.20 in. Mictlan was the name given by the Mexicans to the place whither went the souls of those who died from natural causes, which region was presided over by the god Mictlan- h'nlitii a,nd the goddess Mictecacihxatl, these correspondiog, asGama observes, to Pluto and Prosperina of the infernal regions of the Greeks and Romans. These dark and dismal parts were supposed to exist in the center of the earth, and the temple dedicated to this god was called Tlaxico, which signifies the bowels or interior of the earth. The image of the god is sculptured in relief on the circu- lar stone. With it are several human skulls, being the manner in which it is represented on other Indian monu- ments. No. 4. Cuauhxicalli of Tizoc. Diam., 2.65 m. ; height, 0.84 m. ; ciicuni., 8.28 in. This monument, commonly known as the "Sacrificial Stone," was encountered in the principal plaza of the city of Mexico on December 17, 1791, at a slight depth below the surface. It is a historical-religious monument. On its face is seen sculptured the image of the sun, to whom it is dedicated, after the manner in which the Aztecs always represented him. On the convex surface of the cylinder are fifteen groups of two persons each, showing one victorious warrior clutching by the hair various prisoners, these latter representing sb many conquered tribes, the names of which are found in the hieroglyphics accompanying each one. A woman figures as the prisoner in two of the (1) Anales del Masco Nnoinnal de Mix., v. II. p, 293. — 6— groups, the tribe subjected being probably ruled by a queen. The conqueror is Tizoc, sixth king of Mexico, who occupied the throne from 1481 to 1486, and the monument commemorates the victories of this monarch over the tribes represented on the circumference of the cylinder. In Mexico there existed an order of nobles, " Knights of the Eagle," whose patron was the sun. Over this stone, they used to sacrifice in certain solemnities a human vic- tim to whom they gave the name of " Messenger of the Sun." Father Duran, one of the earliest historians of Mexico, graphically describes this sacrifice in his work. "Historia de las Indias." It is thought that this stone may also have been used as a complement to the calendar stone, to complete the calendar of the year, the figures on the top of the stone giving grounds for such supposition. No. 5. Chac-Mool. Length, 1.46 in.; width, 0.77 m.; height, 1.07rn. This statue was discovered by Dr. A. LePlongeon in the ruins of Chichen-Iza, Yucatan, and afterwards removed by the Mexican government to the National Museum. The history of this discovery and the diverse opinions about this famous monument may be found in the " Anales dei Museo Nacional de Mexico," v. I, p. 270. The archaeolo- gist by whose efforts it was brought to light says it is not an idol, but a statue of Chac-Mool (signifying tiger) king of the Atzaes, erected to his memory by his wife, the queen; that it is of great antiquity, probably twelve thousand years ; and that in the inscription on the cover- ing of the ears are found corroborations of these assertions, as well as other data relative to the history of this king. The fact that there have been found in the valley of Mexico and in Tlaxcala statues of similar form has given rise to the supposition that they all represent.one divinity, worshipped alike in Mexico and YuGatan. Chavero in his studies on the subject concludes that the statue in question is the god of fire, and that the disc which he holds in his hands represents the sun. —7— No. 6. Commemorative Stone. Length, 0.88 ru.: width, 0.60 m. This stone was made to commemorate the foundation of the great temple of the Aztecs in their capital. From its description and the interpretation of its hieroglyphics by Fernando Ramirez (1) we take the following : "In Mexico, as in Judea, there was a king who thought to erect a temple that should be the surprise and marvel of all nations for its magnitude and magnificence, but, like his Jewish predecessor, he had only the satisfaction of seeing gathered together his immense materials. The glory of the completed work commenced by this king, Txzoc, was reserved for his successor, Ahuitzotl. " The effigy of Txzoc is shown on the left, the symbol of his name, a leg, being found near his shoulders. On the right is seen the terrible and sanguinary Ahuitzotl, whose symbolical name is represented by a small animal of fan- tastic form in the same manner as that of Txzoc. The whole shows that the temple was commenced by this latter, finished by the former, and afterwards destroyed by the conquerors and missionaries, our magnificent Cathedral now occupying the ground where once stood the pride of the Aztec kings." On the lower part of the stone is seen sculptured eight reeds, which correspond to the year 1487, the date of the completion of the, temple. To make more solemn the dedication, King Almltzotl proposed to immolate a largely increased number of human victims in sacrifice. This act of the Mexican king has caused his uame to be perpetuated till to-day as a synonym of cruelty and per- secution. No. 7. The Mexican Cycle. Length, 0.41 m.; diatn., 0.16 m. The day was divided by the«Aztecs into certain equal periods of time corresponding to our hours, determined by observations of the course of the sun and stars. Every fifth day was a day of rest, called Ttanquiztti and five of these periods formed a Mexican month of twenty days (1) Preseott's Conquest, with notes by P. Ramirez. — 8— Eighteen months made 360 days, to which were added five supplementary days to complete the year. The centuiV or cycle, was composed of fifty-two years ?£*&}}**** to vhioh we reter is composed of a bundle nim Tr ?!i le tr Wlt - h C01 -^' representing a cycle, or xuihmol- mlh in the Mexican idiom, the signification of the word being a union of years. The most notable of all the feasts of the Aztecs was that which took place the first day of the century. From super- stitious causes they feared the destruction of the world at the end of the century, and the populace, expectant and HI « * passed ^e last night in the greatest consternation All fires were extinguished, household goods were des- X°Jnn a £ n l Je T ls - thrown awa y. supposing them useless thenceforth. An immense procession took its way to the mil ot Ixtapalapa, near Mexico, on whose summit were performed the ceremonies. At exactly midnight a human sacrifice was offered up, and over the victim's still palpi- tating heart the priests with the aid of two dry sticks ignited the new fire which, with lightning-like rapidity' was carried to all the temples and houses of the capita and the surrounding country. This was to the people the joyful tidings that the world would exist for another cen- tury, and the happy issue was celebrated by various suc- cessive days ql feasting and rejoicing, all giving them- thelfpast fears'" 617 t0 pleasure and PrompOy forgetting Ko. 8. Grijrantic Head. Height, 0.91 m.; width, 0.55 in.; circmii., 2.23 m. This beautiful sculpture, resembling so much Egyptian work, is believed, from the place in which it was found to have occupied a position in the great Aztec temple. With considerable show of reason it is believed bv some archae- ologists to represent the lost Atlantis. The head-dress of water dotted with shells suggests her position in the midst ol the sea ; the piece on top of this symbolizes her sunken or covered-up condition, and the closed and covered mouth her unknown history and her silence forever S^ 1 ' 108 Bustamente opines that the head represents the goddess Temazcaltoai; Chavero that it represents Totev (Crod in his excellence), one of the most splendid manifes- tations or the sun. — 9— No. 9. Monolith of Tenango. Height, 1.79 in.; width, 0.51 m.; thickness, 0.205 m. In the Vatican at Rome is conserved a manuscript repre- sentation by the Aztecs of the same subject engraved ou this monument, viz. : the four cosmogohical suns, repre- senting the four fatal epochs in nature, which according to their historical and legendary lore had taken place. Following are the names and the order in which they are put by the best authors who have written on the subject : First epoch, Atonatluh, or water sun (corresponding to our deluge) ; second, Eheaatonatiuh, or wind sun; third, TleJo- natiuh, or fire sun ; fourth, Tlaltonatluh, or earth sun. (II This monument is from the town of Tenango, Mexico. No. 10. Goddess of Water; Height, 1.45 iu.; width, 0.75 m. This statue is from a mountain nearTlalmenalco. Accord- ing to Chavero it is the goddess of water Plialchiuhtlicue, with her characteristic head-dress adornments, sister of the gods of water called Tlaloques. Great reverence was paid to this class of divinities in those parts. Near where this statue was found, at the edge of Tex- coeo, half buried in a ravine, is found a colossal statue of this same deity some thirty feet in height. No. 11. Cross of Palenque. Length, 1.897 m. : width, 1.256 in. The general worship of the cross by the aborigines of this continent was noted with some surprise by the first writers on American history, and a great variety of opin- ions is shown in the effort to explain its presence in these parts. To many it is an evident proof that Christianity was taught here at a remote period, in time this doctrine (1) Humboldt : Viiee dcs Cordilleres; v. I. p. 118. —10— becoming disfigured and mixed with the false religious ideas of the Indians. This supposition is strengthened by many traditions of the ancient Mexicans. To others the rross is an astronomical sign, the indication of the four winds, the four seasons, etc., and known from times very remote, as it was in the old world. The inscriptions and figures on this cross are but little understood, and its history entirely unknown. On the right is the figure of a priest offering up a child to the sacred bird of fantastic form perched on top of the cross. The cross terminates at the bottom in a large face, with mouth opened and a peculiar adornment hanging from the nose. The original tablet of the cross as it existed at Palenque in the " Temple of the Cross " was composed of three parts, a piece covered with hieroglyphics fitting on each side of this ceutral part, one of which is in the Smithsonian Institute at Washington and the other at Merida, Yucatan. No. 12. Yoke of Orizaba. Height, 0.46 in. ; width, 0.33 m. ; thickness, 0.13 m. This sacrificial yoke is from Orizaba, is an original, and is like the one described in ' : Prescott's Conquest, with notes by Bamirez." It is of a stone excessively hard and of a green color. The sculpturing is artistically wrought ; a head, as of a snake, appearing at the top of the yoke, and the whole is highly polished. These yokes were used in the human sacrifices, there appears little reason to doubt, being put over the neck of the unhappy victim preparatory to taking out his heart. As such rites were only practiced in the greater temples of the country, the number of these sacrificial implements is not many, and they have only been found where such grand temples existed. No. 13. Cilmacoatl. Height, 0.0 in. This statue represents a woman dressed and adorned in the style of the Aztec nobility. The hands and feet of this —11- statue have been restored. The rattlesnake found en- circling her waist makes it seem very probable that it is a statue of the goddess Cihuacoatl, or snake-woman, the Eve of the Aztecs, from Avhom they believed the whole human race to have descended. No. 14. Yohualteuhtli. This beautifully worked figure appears to us to represent the same serpent engraved on the outer circle of the calendar stone, Yohualteulttli, described by Gama on page 100 of his excellent work. The human face in the mouth of the serpent on the calendar stone is seen, though mucli disfigured, on the coiled serpent, and the arm and claw is seen plainly, the figures on the bodies of the -two being also very similar. No. 15. Bass-Relief from Palenque. Height, 1.2 m. ; width, 0.3 m. This piece is notable for the artistic workmanship dis- played thereon. A man is represented undergoing a pun- ishment of some kind, with his hands tied behind him, an expression of extreme pain being pictured in the face and attitude of the prisoner. It is supposed from the hieroglyphics to have come from Palenque. No. 16. Palenque Divinity. Height, 0.563 m. This figure, of a style original and elegant, and of beau- tiful execution, gives a good idea of the progress and the artistic taste of the Mexican tribes. According to the description of M. Dupaix (1), it represents a god with the (1) Airtiquite's Mexicaines, examou des planchee to show that this statue is a representation of that same deity. —14— No. 24. Funeral Urn. Diam., 0.66 m., depth., 0.256 in. Superstitious ideas in regard to the future life have been the origin for the most part of the ceremonies practiced in paying a last tribute to the dead, and among the Mexicans, as well as among many other peoples, these ceremoni*^ took sometimes a barbarous form. On the death of a king or one of the nobility the body was burned on a funeral pyle and the bones and head, or sometimes only the ashes, put in an urn adorned with pictures of idols, over which was placed the image of the deceased in painting or in sculpture. In ancient Egypt very similar urns were used in a like manner. This urn is covered on the convex surface with many skulls, and on the inside is beautifully carved. Kos, 25, 26. Funeral Urns. These two urns are of marked Egyptian style in the sculpturing, and are very like those found in the Egyptian gallery of the Royal Museum of Paris. Their form is quadrilateral and their size shows they were used to con- tain the bones as well as the ashes of some important personage. No. 27. Great Vase or Tub. Diam., 1.07 in. ; depth, 0.47 ni. Little is so far known of the history or use of this notable work. The figures sculptured on the bottom and circum- ference are similar to those on the "Vase of the Sun." described by Sanchez in the " Anales del Museo de Mexico. " In an old'Aztec document representing a gift by the kin ^ of Texcoco to the king of Mexico is a figure very similar I • this. From various water animals found sculptured on the base it is thought to be commemorative of the first sun of the Aztecs, or the deluge. It is a monument on which much study could be profitably spent. —15— No. 28. Bass-Relief. Commemorative of an inundation. Nos. 29. Aztec Nun. Humboldt describes a statue in " Yues des Cordilleres," vol. 1. of which this is an almost exact representation. In the head-dress there is a surprising similarity to the veil or valantica found on the statues of Isis, on the Sphinx and on a great many other Egyptian statues. No. 30. Chapolin or Grasshopper. An enlarged figure of a grasshopper. The perigrina- tions of the Aztec tribe, when they came from the north, ended at Chapultepec (hill of the grasshopper) near Mexico, of which event this figure is commemorative. No. 31. Statuette. A small statue of the goddess Cihuacoatl or snake-woman. No. 32. Face of Chinese Type. The Chinese features of this face, or mask, are very marked. No. 33. Obsidian Vase. The work on a vase of intricate pattern made of this material, which is as hard and brittle as glass, is almost —16— incredible, especially when it is considered that the use of iron was entirely unknown to the ancient races of Mexico. No. 34. Vases. These are small reproductions of some notable antique vases brought from the ruins of Yucatan. -*- • PAINTINGS. In this collection are found the best works of the Mexi- can artists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as well as some by European masters. The subjects represented are chiefly religious and historical. BOOKS. On Mexican archaeology and the ancient history of America, as well as many very valuable rare and ancient works. r?t ltd