Tecpatl (not identified with a specific god)

1502-1520 CE
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 10
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
Tecpatls, ritual knives, were considered alive, capable of representing and embodying the gods. Made of flint, a material associated with fire and lightning, they were given human features, such as eyes and teeth, before they were placed in offerings at the Templo Mayor. They were also painted with details suggesting the identities of specific deities.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Tecpatl (not identified with a specific god)
  • Date: 1502-1520 CE
  • Culture: Mexica (Aztec)
  • Medium: Flint (silex), obsidian, pigments
  • Dimensions: 2 3/16 × 2 1/2 in. (5.5 × 6.4 cm)
  • Classification: Stone-Implements
  • Credit Line: Museo del Templo Mayor, INAH​
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters