Facing out into the eyes of museum-goers, the Aztec feathered serpent sculpture currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art dates from between fifteenth and early sixteenth century. Though the iconographic motif of the feathered serpent is a common and meaningful one in Aztec art, the formal elements of this piece communicate an equally strong message. Through deliberate choices in the crafting and facture of this seemingly dense stone sculpture, the artist reiterates a formal theme of circular and spiraling elements to create a sense of mysteriousness and threat.
The most salient elements contributing to this identity include the shapes of the elements and the overall sculpture, the spatial distribution of formal elements, and the material – all of which help to convey a specific
...message of uneasiness and threat in the piece. Despite being roughly a mere one foot in length, one foot in width, and six inches in height, the sculpture does not strike one as being small or insignificant in size. Rather, the formal choices present create a sense of great density and mass within the piece.
The sculpture appears to have been carved from stone - possibly from the common medium of volcanic rock. The choice to use heavy, unburnished stone in the crafting of the piece adds a feeling of weightiness and ruggedness to the sculpture. Green stone, another common medium amongst the Aztec, would have allowed for a shinier and sleeker look. This stone, which is grey with a green tint, makes for a physically heavier and rougher piece. Volcanic stone also allows for a much larger amount of usable material, as many othe
precious stones would have been available in smaller quantities and samples.
Though the piece cannot be touched by the public, I can imagine that the grainy feel of the rock would starkly contrast the colder, smoother, sleeker feel of a green stone. The texture of the stone is untamed. The technique of carving would have differed as well, with the stone requiring more brute force but an equal amount of precision to shape and detail. The large, heavy stone grounds the statue and gives it a harsher appearance overall. Though this attribute also communicates with the iconography, it acts in concordance with other formal features that lend to the eerily threatening aura of the work.
Constructed from the same material that covers much of the landscape, the sculpture's material is able to camouflage in with an abundant natural element and evoke a feeling of uneasiness. The material is focused into a smaller but more compact and fully occupied circular space. The circular shape of the base is mimicked throughout the sculpture as the eye travels along the coiled body of the snake. Beginning with the head, the viewer's eye can trace its way down the figure by following the intricately decorated feathered body.
The body coils around itself for what appears to be two loops before ending in a tail. Whereas the body is carved into to portray feathers of varying size and direction, the tail is represented by a series of soft diagonal incisions that yet again mimic the curvature of the entire piece. Although one can seemingly trace the body, the meticulous drafting of the feathers crowds the visual space
of the body and creates a sense of confusion when doing so. In conjunction with the heavy nature of the stone material, the spiraling shape of the body of the snake suggests there is more to the piece than what is visible.
The formal elements create a sense that something lies underneath or within- or that there is at least something more than what can be absorbed iconographically. Adding to this sense is the intricate detail work of the feathers that coat the snake's body. The feathers are carved in high relief with a distinct thickness that separates them from the body of the sculpture. The feathers begin by emanating from the front center part of the head. Beginning shorter than the rest, a thin layer of feathers continues to the back of the head.
The feathers appear more bountiful as the body continues and leaves no part of the “stone skin” body uncovered. Each feather is curved, and there is no discernible pattern to their curves. In the shape of curved isosceles triangles with rounded tops, each feather is divided within itself into three sections by thinly carved lines. This formal technique, which adds more depth to the feathers, also seems to multiply their visual presence. The contrast between the smaller incision within the feathers and the chunky feathers creates shapes that shroud what lies underneath and creates a mysterious topcoat for the figure.
Furthermore, their presence continues until about eight inches before the conclusion of the figure's body. At this point, the curved incisions create a formal consistency with the overall shape and draw attention back to the mysterious spiraling
shape. The tail closes with a curved ending. Protruding downward from the mouth of the sculpture is a thick and forked tongue. The tongue is equally as wide as the four front teeth of the sculpture that are visible just above and over it.
The tongue is carved in high relief and its thickness keeps it away from the coiled body behind it. The tongue extends straight downward before being bisected vertically by an indent. The two symmetrical sides curl up and in on themselves to either side. Notably, symmetry only exists in the piece within the face and facial features. The body, corresponding to the spiraling, rounded shape, and the sporadic feathers do not contribute to a stabilized symmetry. The coiling of the tongue further mimics the spiral shape that frequents the formal design.
Lines that define the mouth extend back on either side of the face, and create a longer mouth than visible from a frontal perspective. The elongated lines stretch to the back corner of the eyes. Within this portion, two more carved teeth extend from the mouth on either side – a decision in placement that is surprising to the viewer who seeks out a view of the sculpture from every side. The corners of the mouth are highlighted with a sequence of lightly carved curved lines that echo the shape of the mouth’s corners.
Atop the mouth and eyes on either side of the head, one can also see carvings of a rectangle with soft rounded corners and a cross hatching pattern carved within. With the repetition of the high relief rounded elements on the face, the
low relief round eyes almost get lost in the sculpture. This makes the low relief elements appear hidden and startling upon identification. The distinct reiteration of formal elements in the feathered serpent sculpture indicates an intentional message. The softer curves, rounded shapes, and spiraling motifs harken upon issues close to Aztec belief and mythology.
However, one their own, they stand as formalistic choices that create a strong enough message for discernment. The confluence of ideas of shape and material provide a distinct, formal identity as a figure evoking a sense of mysteriousness and threat. These conscious choices reflect an artist with a purpose in his choice of medium and design. As a whole, the sculpture manages to communicate a strong idea even with only minimal consideration given to its context, iconography, or history.
