Ixiptla Theory: Surfaces and Representation in Aztec Art

Lecture Abstract:

In this presentation, I consider the theories of representation that underlie the ixiptla, an Aztec term that encompasses god embodiers, cult statues, and colonial administrators. Various lines of evidence make it clear that an ixiptla is created by properly assembling attributes on a surface, whether that of a living body or a sculpture made of amaranth grain. By comparing the relationship between surfaces and representation in European, Andean, and Mesoamerican tradition, using examples from metallurgy and sumptuary representation, I consider what the category of the ixiptla might offer to the practice of art history.

Biography

Claudia Brittenham is Professor of Art History at the University of Chicago.  Her research focuses on the art of Mesoamerica, with interests in the materiality of art and the politics of style. She is the author of Unseen Art: Making, Vision, and Power in Ancient Mesoamerica, as well as The Murals of Cacaxtla: The Power of Painting in Ancient Central Mexico; The Spectacle of the Late Maya Court: Reflections on the Murals of Bonampak (with Mary Miller); and Veiled Brightness: A History of Ancient Maya Color (with Stephen Houston and colleagues). Her next book focuses on the interconnectedness of the ancient Mesoamerican world.

This event is cosponsored by the Department of History.