Coronation+Stone+of+Motecuhzoma+II

==**Coronation Stone of M****otecuhzoma II**== Title: Coronation Stone of Motecuhzoma II Other Title: Stone of the Five Suns Country of Origin: Mexico Culture: Aztec Date: 1503 Size: h. 55.9 cm x l. 66 cm x w. 22.9 cm Current Location: The Art Institute of Chicago Museum Accession Number: 1990.21 Acquisition: Major Acquisitions Fund

[| The Art Institute of Chicago]



**Introduction** The coronation stone of Motecuhzoma II marks the beginning of the end of the Aztec empire. Motecuhzoma II was the last ruler to be crowned before the conquest by the Spanish. The stone exemplifies Aztec relationships its rulers and the earth, revering the authority of the gods, and power bestowed onto the ruler. It uses glyph imagery, in the mixteca-puebla style of art, customary to Aztecs. The coronation stone makes cosmic associations, to emphasize the right of rulers, as do other artworks related to Aztec royalty. The stone also marks the period of creation and destruction, as indicated by the sun imagery on the stone, marking the birth of humankind all the way until the arrival of the Aztec peoples.

**Descriptive Analysis** The Stone of Five Suns is a three dimensional rectangular slab of basalt, measuring h. 55.9 cm x l. 66 cm x w. 22.9 cm (“Aztec Culture”). The front of the piece has detailed relief carvings, with a glyph in each corner, as well as in the center and at the top and bottom edges between the corner glyphs. The lower right glyph is of a jaguar, followed by, counterclockwise, wind, rain and water. The center glyph is of an “X,” which represents movement (“Aztec Culture”). Into the sides of the stone are carved figures of earth monsters, and on the back is a carving of a rabbit’s head. The rabbit is carved in an intaglio style, unlike the front glyphs, which are more pronounced. All images represented on the stone are abstracted. Dating to 1503, the stone has seen some damage, especially at the edges and corners, but the carvings remain intact.

**Formal and Contextual Analysis** This stone carving is thought to have come from near the main pyramid of [|Tenochtitlán], once the capital city and ritual center of the Aztec empire. The carvings directly relate to the Aztec worldview of the five eras of the world. According to the carvings found amongst Aztec ruins, the earth is currently in its fifth era and each glyph on the front of the coronation stone represents the destruction of an era. The glyphs are meant to be read counterclockwise, beginning at the lower right corner. The first is a jaguar, followed by representations of wind, rain and water. The “X” at the center of the stone predicts the end of the fifth era by movement, meaning by earthquakes (“Aztec Culture”).

The Aztecs had a close relationship with the earth, as can be seen by the side and back carvings. The rabbit marks the creation of the earth (Moctezuma, 2002) and thus the stone would lay flat, contacting the earth with the rabbit. The crouching earth monsters carved on the sides of the stone are a representation of the earth’s body (Moctezuma, 2002). The importance of the earth is also tied with royalty. This stone signifies that the planet has consecrated the ruler, and that the earth is part of the Aztec empire (Moctezuma, 2002). Carvings such as these also reinforced the validity and power of the state over the people by using cosmic imagery, which served to associate the ruler with the gods (Smith, 1996, p. 267). The rulers maintained a delicate balance between the people and cosmos. In order to keep the universe from collapsing, rulers instigated human sacrifice (Read, 1986). In ecological terms, human sacrifice may have been a response to famine and drought, although the most intense times of sacrifice coincided with times of harvest and thanksgiving, relating this practice to religious beliefs (Montellano 1978).



The stone reveals the date on which it was made through the carvings between the corner glyphs. The bottom square indicates the year it was made, “11 reed” according to the Aztecs, or 1503 (Art Access). The top carving is of a crocodile, which represents the coronation of Motecuhzoma II, the last ruler before Spanish conquest (“Aztec Culture”). The stone is not only commemorating Motecuhzoma II’s coronation, but serves as a reminder of the legitimacy of his rule, stemming from the earth at the time of its creation (Aztec book).

Aztec art uses the style that scholars refer to as Mixteca-Puebla. This style evolved out of the earlier tradition of painting pottery, and later expanded into sculpture. The Aztecs standardized their depictions of gods and religious ideas based on the depictions of their ancestors. For example, the jaguar is often portrayed as a symbol of great power, and is used in the coronation stone as a glyph (Smith, 1996, p.265).

At the time of the making of the Coronation Stone, the Aztec civilization was enjoying the height of its cultural development. The empire had been expanding, resulting in peace and economic expansion (Smith, 1996, p.276). To the Aztec’s great misfortune, 1519 saw the beginning of conquest through warfare and epidemic. The Spanish had arrived, and Hernando Cortez later defeated the Aztecs with ease (Smith, 1996, p. 278). Motecuhzoma II was the last Aztec ruler, and his coronation stone not only marked the beginning of his rule, but also the last ruler.

**Personal Interpretation** The stone's rough honed appearance gives an air of the zeitgeist of the artistic climate of ancient Tenochtitlan. The pains that it must of taken to carve this important piece out of basalt stone is an indicator of the advanced skill and precision that was held so dear to the Aztec peoples. In this case, the stone was used as an indicator of time, much like other hieroglyphs, they tell stories of daily life in Tenochtitlan. This story in particular tells us of a time of fear and destined destruction of the Aztecs, by what they thought earthquakes would cause, sadly famine, disease and the entrance of a conquering army would eventually take hold of the ancient civilization. The stone has intricate relief carvings on the sides, front, and back of it and they all have meaning to which the glyphs can be read counterclockwise. The theme of destruction and creation is common in ancient societies.

**References** “Aztec Culture; Coronation Stone of Motecuhzoma II ("Stone of the Five Suns").” 7 June, 2009, [] (August 2004). Moctezuma, E.M and Olguin, F.S. //Aztecs//. London: Royal Academy of Arts, 2002. Montellano D.E. “Aztec Cannibalism an Ecological Necessity.” //Science// (1978) 200: 611-617 Read, Kay A. “The Fleeting Moment: Cosmogony, Eschatology, and Ethics in Aztec Religion and Society.” //Journal of Religious// **// Ethics //** (1986)14:113-138. Smith, Michael E. //The Aztecs//. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers Inc, 1996.


 * Title: ** “Interpretive Aztec Design”
 * Level: ** High School
 * Time: ** 13 class periods, 1 hour each, total= 13 hrs.

**Standards** This lesson meets the following [|National Standards for Arts Education (Visual Arts)] NA-VA.9-12.1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes NA-VA.9-12.2 Using knowledge of structures and functions NA-VA.9-12.3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas NA-VA.9-12.4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures NA-VA.9-12.5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others. NA-VA.9-12.6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines

This lesson meets the following Nation Technology Standards for Arts Education (Visual Arts)
 * 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity (a,b)
 * 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments (a,b,d)
 * 3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning (a,b,c,d)

**Central Concepts** 1. **Creation and Destruction:** The time when the culture was created and when the Aztec culture was destroyed. The stone tells of a time when the Aztecs first came to be and when they were to end. The stone can be read like a calendar, with a bit of calculation; one can predict when the “apocalypse by earthquake” is supposed to be. 2. **The Mixteca-Puebla Style**: A combination of the two neighboring areas (Central-Southern Puebla and Western Oaxaca, La Mixteca) styles. This fuse in styles have evolved out of painting pottery and sculpture. 3. **Gods and Ancestors**: In the Aztec civilization, ancestral faces were used in their artwork to represent the Gods' faces. The Aztecs emulated their ancestor’s images in their artwork, they used the memories of their loved ones to worship and replace them as Gods images. 4. **Symbolism**: Attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships. The Aztecs used animals such as birds, fish, and jaguars to signify events or dates. For example, footprints symbolizes a journey and a rabbit symbolizes fertility.

**Activity 1: “Getting to know the Ancient Aztecs” (1 class period, 1 hour)** The teacher will give a short presentation using PowerPoint to introduce the ancient Aztecs and their culture. The teacher will use images that directly relate to the Aztecs culture, architecture, religion/sacrifice, and discuss with the class the history of the people. >, [|www.angelfire.com/az/atid410]/,[| www.mexicanhistory.org/aztec.htm], ==== The Teacher will: 1.) Help the students understand symbols and their uses in artworks and cultures. 2.) Have examples of artworks concerning the Aztecs and also about the Aztecs to show the students, 3.) Make good use of class time to write ideas on the board that students can use in their own creations, 4.) Help students push their art so that it has imaginative concepts and substance. ====
 * The teacher will make a PowerPoint presentation to introduce images to the students. (Sites for images and information include:[|http://www.azteccalendar.com/azteccalendar.html,]
 * The teacher will discuss the uses of symbols and Gods in the Aztec artworks.
 * The students will get into groups to discuss the comparisons of the ancient Aztecs to modern contemporary life.
 * The teacher will hand-out [|Dissecting the Aztecs Worksheet.docx] and organize students into groups of 3 or 4
 * The students will look at the handout and pick two or three topics to discuss including symbols from Aztec culture, religion and sacrifice in Aztec society, art and the Gods, food and daily life in an Aztec city, the Aztec calendar, and Aztec architecture.
 * The students will take notes of their conversations discussing some of the topics from above and then present some of the topics they covered to the class to create a list of Aztec characteristics of culture and society to be written on the board by the teacher.

**Activity 2: “Exploring the Ruins of the World” ( 5 class periods, 1 hour each)** After initial discussion among the students using the PowerPoint, the idea of creation and destruction is introduced to the students to contemplate. The concept of creation and destruction is relevant to the Aztec religion and culture. Their calendar, using computations, could indicate the next disaster that was to appear. The students will look in depth at the temples of the Aztec, Maya, and Inca to compare and contrast the differing styles of building techniques. The differing styles in architecture are reminiscent of the religious practices and sacrifices of each respective group, which is where the high priest usually lives and performs those types of duties. The purpose of this activity is to spark interest and brainstorming ideas so that the students can design their own personal “palace/temples” and write a small personal statement to accompany the image describing what they would use their "palace" for and how they can relate some of the features of their own architectural "creation" to the characteristics of Aztec dwellings.
 * ==== The teacher will make a list of all the appropriate websites that students can use for their art inspiration. They will be using 1 and a half class periods to brainstorm and find their inspiration. Websites will be documented and linked onto Delicious.com, a social bookmarking site, that allows a group to access multiple websites without browsing for each one individually. This list will keep everyone on track and limit the number of slackers. ====
 * ===== After the students explore the web for images of several ancient societies, they will brainstorm and sketch ideas for their final piece of work. =====
 * ===== The students will discuss with the teacher, ways to incorporate their personal lifestyles into these ancient palaces. =====
 * ===== The students will create a final work using any media they prefer including: mixed media collage, drawing, painting, physical photographic collage, clay, and other materials to organize their final product onto a display material to be put into a display case, along with their statements. Once the students choose their method and materials they have 4 class periods to build content and their work. =====

**Activity 3: “In the Eye of the Symbol” (6 class periods, 1 hour each) **
In this activity, the students will use Word, Photoshop and symbols to create a piece that incorporates a printmaking process using linoleum. The project reflects the personal experiences of the students as well as incorporates some ancient symbols from the Aztec civilization. They will be creating a symbol that they can carve out of linoleum and print onto a collaborative mural in the classroom. The students can incorporate modern day images in Photoshop to create a “symbol” totally unique to them.
 * The teacher will set up a station for the students to put the images onto Photoshop in groups so it won’t take as long.
 * The students will think about the deeper meanings of symbols and confer their ideas to the teacher.
 * The teacher will give a demonstration on the tools used for linoleum cutting.
 * The teacher will give the students the option of practicing the cutting process so that the students have the opportunity to "mess-up" before their final piece.
 * The teacher will bring in resources such as magazines and other reading materials to inspire conversation about culture and what it means to be a part of the American culture as opposed to the Aztec culture of that time.
 * The teacher will perform an in-progress critique to guide students in a more conceptual direction while helping the students finalize their symbols.
 * Students will transfer their final practice images on the linoleum and begin to print them, first on five sheets of BFK, then onto a collaborative mural.

**Activity 4: " Compiling the Portfolio" ( 1 class period, 1 hour)** After all the work in the other activities are completed, the students will have the opportunity and the class period to finalize their images, and to compile their practice linoleum cuts, examples and final artworks into a portfolio. The portfolio will be made out of a large piece of cardboard folded over, with the name, hour and date on the front of it. The students will also create a physical portfolio with all the sketches, final products and writings from the activities. The students will take photos of their pieces using the class/teacher's camera and submit them to the teacher on a flash drive.The portfolio will be discussed in terms of what is expected to be in it, content of artwork, effort and completeness.

**Assessment:** The students will be given a rubric made by the teacher, one portion is self-assessment, and the other is the teachers’ portion to score. The four activities will be scored based on group involvement, creativity, uniqueness in design, cleanliness in the case of the linoleum cut project, and the ideas have to be conveyed appropriately throughout the works the students do. All the students will perform a critique with the entire class, displaying what they feel is their best piece or what is successful for all of them, the teacher will initiate discussion using elements and principles of design and students have to comment on at least three other pieces, not including their own. Discussion is mandatory in critiques, their participation in this activity at the end shows the teacher that they listen and understand what other students say about their own work. This large critique is performed at the end of the lesson, when all portfolios are turned in and returned. There is a point system on a rubric that is created for the activities, for discussion, the point values are smaller, but not insignificant. Participation is an essential part of the art class curriculum. **Rubric for Activities** =195 points= |||||| 20 pts |||||| 30 pts |||||| 30 pts |||| 45 pts |||| 40 pts || 30 pts ||
 * =  ||||||= Group Involvement ||||= Unique Design ||||||= Cleanliness in final pieces ||||= Clear Concepts ||= Discussion/ Participation/ Critique ||= Proper Use of Technology ||
 * = Personal Palace/ Temple with Personal Statement ||||||= Up to 5 pts |||| Up to 10 pts |||||| Up to 5 pts |||| Up to 20 pts || Up to 10 pts || Up to 10 pts ||
 * = Linoleum Block Symbol and Mural ||||||= Up to 15 pts |||| Up to 20 pts |||||| Up to 15 pts |||| Up to 20 pts || Up to 10 pts || Up to 10 pts ||
 * = Portfolio/ Digital Portfolio ||||||= N/A |||||||| N/A |||| Up to 10 pts |||| Up to 5 pts || Up to 20 pts || Up to 10 pts ||
 * = Total Possible Points


 * References: **
 * [|www.mexicanhistory.org/aztec.htm]
 * [|http://www.azteccalendar.com/azteccalendar.html,]
 * [|www.angelfire.com/az/atid410]
 * []
 * [|The Art Institute of Chicago]