Exceptional production values
A vast number of Aztec artefacts survive and their legacy is dramatically showcased in this edition’s pictorial companion volume. There are 90 colour plates, many sourced from the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico, and each painstakingly reproduced to ensure exceptional quality. There are jewelled skulls – including the Skull of the Smoking Mirror, which was famously used in rituals – basalt sculptures of gods and goddesses, details from the carved reliefs on the Sun Stone and pages from the Codex Mendoza, as well as the exquisite turquoise two-headed serpent that is perhaps the greatest example of the Aztecs’ artistic prowess.
Each volume includes a decorated title page with motifs inspired by the Sun Stone, and an intricate foil-blocked binding that replicates Aztec inscriptions. This unique collector’s set brings together a highly respected text on the subject and images of some of the most spectacular artefacts, architecture and archives from this remarkable civilisation.