The Gold of the Aztecs: Art and Spirituality

For the Mexicas —the dominant people of the Aztec Empire— the value of gold lay in its spiritual symbolism. Considered the "sweat of the sun" or "the divine excretion" of Tonatiuh, the Sun God, gold was intimately linked to power, divinity, and the ritual universe.

According to the vision of the Mexica people, gold was a manifestation of cosmic order. This concept profoundly influenced the way they collected it, processed it, and used it.

Snake labret with articulated tongue by Unknown, 1521. Metropolitan Museum.

Where did they get the gold from?

Although the Central Plateau—where Tenochtitlan is located—was not particularly rich in gold deposits, the Aztecs knew how to integrate gold producing regions into their empire through the tax system. The main sources of gold were areas such as Oaxaca, Guerrero, Chiapas, and Puebla.

The subjugated peoples in these outer regions collected gold, especially from the rivers, and sent it as part of their tributes to the Tlatoani (emperor), who used it for ritual, decorative, and state activities.

This tax structure allowed the empire to have a constant flow of precious metals. Although on a smaller scale, they also carried out collection activities in their own territories.

Unlike Europeans, Mexicas did not practice underground mining. Their gold harvesting method was mainly alluvial. This consisted in extracting gold from river sediments using pans, concave wooden containers used to separate the gold particles from the mud and sand. The process was entirely artisanal and required a thorough understanding of the natural environment, such as the river’s behavior and soil composition.

Masters of Gold: Aztec Goldsmithing

Once collected, gold was melted down and worked by expert goldsmiths using different techniques, such as the so-called "lost wax" method, through which they created highly detailed molds and hollow figures.

On the other hand, by hammering they made fine sheets used in pectorals and ornaments, whereas with filigree and primitive weld they were able to assemble small decorative pieces.

Gold was combined with precious stones such as jade, turquoise, and obsidian, and in some cases, mixed with copper or silver, allowing for unique visual effects and conveying symbolic meanings.

Objects of Power and Beauty

As in other cultures and their respective mythologies,  gold was reserved for the Mexica elite: emperors, nobles, priests, and high-ranking warriors. In religious ceremonies, gold was offered to the gods as a token of gratitude or to ask for divine favors.

In this context, gold was used in ritual offerings, religious figures, funerary masks, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, among other objects. Many of these pieces were buried as part of complex rituals.

By ignoring the deep spiritual value of these gold objects, the Spanish conquistadors, instead of preserving the works of art, melted down many pieces to turn them into gold ingots.

The destruction of these artistic expressions represents one of the greatest cultural losses of the early colonial period. Only a few gold pieces managed to survive and can now be admired in places such as the Templo Mayor Museum or the National Museum of Anthropology, in Mexico City.

Aztec gold continues to arouse admiration, not only for its brilliance, but for the artistic level achieved by its goldsmiths and the profound symbolism it was conceived with.  Knowing its meaning establishes a connection with a culture that found in gold a reflection of the universe and a bridge to the divine.

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