The chapter begins with an introduction of the traces of Tolteca that are found everywhere. They were involved in the invention of and production of various artifacts, which show how wise they were. They were involved in the interpretation of dreams and reading of the stars. Section one of the chapter shows how the sacred used to erupt into the human world. The words of the spirits could be revealed through art. They used the art to describe the beauty that existed in the world, the description was vivid and visible in the real world. One of the most used genres was poetry. Mexica used different genres to develop the aesthetic expressions. Some of the art genres used include songs, objects and also performances. Every genre shows the embedded propositions in the world. The world is a creation of a sacred heart as well as the human arrangements. According to Mexica the world is made up of a divine artificer with the things in it having a transitory existence. The human artist therefore is not an original artist and only mimics the works of the divine artist. The artist is believed to born in Mexica, and once his or her talent in art; he/she was referred to as” Toltec”. A true Toltec is defined as an artist who has the originality to develop different art genres. There were those who were referred to as scribes, and they were regarded as the top Toltecs. They painted using the red and black ink and carried their books with them all the time.
The Mexicans used feather and valued feather work in their artefacts. The underbody feathers were considered to be the most valuable. The most sacred feathers and any feather work that was considered sacred by the Mexicans were known as “Shadow of the Sacred Ones”, this was mainly due to their unique colors, and they were also rare to find. Poetry was also used by the Mexica; their poetry was different from poetry in other regions. The Mexicans songs were made by individuals; however, there were other people who were involved in the development of the songs. Each song symbolized something within the society; an example is the flower song which was used to compel men to reciprocate the good acts of the sacred ones. The use of the flower shows the aesthetic properties of the song. Many songs evoked different response and emotions among the dancers and the audience. When the Mexicans were developing their songs, they conceptualized on a different universe from the one viewed by other people. Their conceptualization of the universe was one composed of the heaven which was above and the underworlds, all this features were stable and enduring. Tezcatlipoca also use protean way or expressing their riddles. The riddles contain some underlying knowledge and wisdom that requires one to look at the deeper meaning of the riddles. Some of the poems summarized the principles of human beings and the aesthetic being. One cannot understand the aesthetic concept of poems by just looking at the words and directly interpreting them. The riddles contributed to the aesthetic properties of the poems.
Most of the genres generalize on various concepts; however, there are some that have a specific approach. In order to understand the different meanings, there is a need to compare the songs and poems with other art genres in Mexica. The world is like a painting, and its people symbolize different things. The art used to have got its hidden meaning and use high intelligence levels. Some artists such as Dennis Tedlock have emphasized on the importance of conceptualization in art.
Conceptualizing and imagining how the world was in the beginning gives artists a more intelligent approach in art. The Mexica imagination was influenced by various things such as the correspondence between plumage, quetzal and lush foliage. The terms applied in one poem or song could be applied in a different one and convey a different meaning. What matters is the concept and the idea being conveyed by a piece of art. One of the most common used word in the poems and songs was the blossoming of the flowers, when applied in different songs it conveyed a different meaning. The signs used were in a cryptic nature, and one had to encrypt them to understand the inner meaning of the songs and poems. An example is the marking on the rosette which was found on a jaguar’s skin, and the fondness of the jaguar to hunt near the water sources. The nocturnal and solitary habits of the animal were attributed to the stars in the sky. Fauna and flora play a key part in the Mexica work. Vegatables and plants do not move and use their physical appearance as a clue; this concept was highly used to develop the aesthetic concept of Mexica art. The birds also signified something with the beautiful birds being preferred when making paintings. The character traits of each animal were used to develop different ideas in the Mexica art.
“Toltec” was a name of honor for the artists; however those who painted in black and white were the supreme ones. These people were highly intelligent in the mystery of signs. It is quite ironical that people have turned against this high level of art and settled on Mexican Codices.
Work Cited
Margin call. Blu-Ray. Directed by J. C. Chandor. Santa Monica, CA: Lionsgate, 2011.
Spatt, Brenda. Writing from sources. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011.
