Fan Handle

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Culture Aztec

Title Fan Handle

Date 1200–1521

Medium Wood

Dimensions Mount: 1/2 × 2 3/4 × 2 3/8 in. (1.3 × 7 × 6 cm)
Object: 12 1/2 × 1 1/4 × 1 in. (31.8 × 3.2 × 2.5 cm)
Overall (includes mount): 13 × 2 3/4 × 2 3/8 in. (33 × 7 × 6 cm)

Credit Line Raymond and Laura Wielgus Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 94.221

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About this Work

Said to have been found in San Gerónimo, a West Mexican site quite distant from the Aztec capital, this fan handle shows motifs (a snake and a bound captive) that are consistent with Aztec iconography. The feathered serpent, called Quetzalcoatl by the Aztecs, was an important deity, and rattlesnakes are a frequent theme in Aztec art. So too is human sacrifice, which was considered necessary to maintain the good will of the gods and thus to sustain human life. The Aztecs were known as great warriors, and their "Flowery Wars" were battles waged for the primary purpose of obtaining captives for sacrifice.

Provenance
More Details

Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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Cite this Page
"Fan Handle | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=94.221