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Pectoral
Not on view
The Mexicas valued the shimmering iridescent white of the pearl oyster shell (Pinctada mazatlanica) from the Pacific coast and fashioned numerous ornaments from this imported material. This pectoral (anahuatl) was associated with the Mexica god Tezcatlipoca but also with Huitzilopochtli, Tlahuizcalpanteuctli, Mixcoatl, and Xipe Totec—deities associated with rulership, warfare, the sun, stars (especially Venus as the morning star), and rebirth.
Estos pectorales (anahuatl) de obsidiana y nácar estaban asociados con Tezcatlipoca, un dios mexica, así como con Huitzilopochtli, Tlahuizcalpanteuctli, Mixcoatl y Xipe Totec, deidades asociadas con el gobierno, la guerra, el sol, las estrellas (especialmente Venus, por ser la estrella de la mañana) y el renacimiento.
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