Teponaztli (slit-drum)
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.Instruments sometimes embody sacred beings. As punishment for his involvement in earthly affairs, the Aztec deity Teponaztli was transformed into a slit drum. When struck, the teponaztli’s tones evoke the god’s voice and link the living and ancestral worlds. This example takes the form of a crouching warrior holding a conch shell, probably a trumpet, in his right hand. Teponaztli were central to Aztec military and religious proceedings, where they enchanted audiences and gods alike.
Artwork Details
- Title: Teponaztli (slit-drum)
- Date: 1200 - 1521
- Culture: Mixtec
- Medium: Wood
- Dimensions: 27 x 6 x 8 in. (68.5 x 15.2 x 20.1 cm)
- Classification: Idiophone-Struck-slit drum
- Credit Line: Trustees of the British Museum, London
- Rights and Reproduction: © The Trustees of the British Museum
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
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