- Title: Bright colours of ancient Tenochtitlan on show in Mexico exhibition
- Date: 18th May 2017
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (MAY 18, 2017) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF TEMPLO MAYOR RUINS LOGO FOR EXHIBITION "OUR BLOOD, OUR COLOUR" ON WALL AT MUSEUM ANCIENT AZTEC PIECES ON DISPLAY AT MUSEUM AZTEC POTTERY ON DISPLAY MAN LOOKING AT PIECES AT EXHIBITION SMALL ARTEFACT ON DISPLAY FACE DETAIL OF ARTEFACT ON DISPLAY GENERAL VIEW OF ROCK ARTEFACT AT EXHIBITION BODY AND FACE OF ROCK SCULPTURE ARTEFACTS WITH COLOURING STILL ON THEM ON DISPLAY AT EXHIBITION AZTEC TABLET ON DISPLAY FACE OF IMAGE ON ROCK TABLET (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EXHIBITION DIRECTOR AT TEMPLO MAYOR, LEONARDO LOPEZ, SAYING: "We know that the sculptures that these people created in basalt, in volcanic rocks were completely painted. Unfortunately, these colours have been lost over time naturally or by human. Our mission is for visitors to have through these reconstruction's, the replicas that we have done, the same reaction as that of our Aztec ancestors 500 years ago." GENERAL VIEW OF ROOM AT EXHIBITION WITH REPLICA PIECES IN COLOURS PEOPLE LOOKING AT PIECES IN EXHIBITION BEFORE AND AFTER REPLICAS WITH FADED COLOURS AND THEN COLOURS AS THEY ORIGINALLY WERE THOUGHT TO BE DURING REIGN OF TENOCHTITLAN BEFORE AND AFTER REPLICAS OF SKULLS WITH FADED COLOURS AND THEN COLOURS AS THEY WERE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO HAVE CLOSE-UP OF COLOURED REPLICA SKULL (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EXHIBITION CURATOR, MICHELLE DE ANDA, SAYING: "We have also found some materials such as wooden pieces which still have their colour. We want to show how all the Aztec world was multi-coloured in murals, sculptures. And we are also showing for the first time a human skull that was used as a symbolic skull." PEOPLE LOOKING AT PIECES OF COLOURED POTS ON DISPLAY COLOURING OF POT ON DISPLAY RUINS AT TEMPLO MAYOR GENERAL VIEW OF GROUNDS OF TEMPLO MAYOR WITH SPANISH COLONIAL ERA CHURCHES IN THE BACKGROUND
- Embargoed: 1st June 2017 21:58
- Keywords: Templo Mayor Museum Mexico City Teotihuacan ancient civilisation exhibition
- Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- City: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News
- Reuters ID: LVA0016HD9WZN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The ancient artefacts of the Aztec's lost city of Tenochtitlan have gone on display in Mexico City like never before, in full colour.
The exhibition called "Our Blood, Our Colour: The Polychrome Sculpture Of Tenochtitlan" will be on show at the Mexican capital's iconic Templo Mayor, the site of the last remaining temple of the mighty Aztec city that was razed by Spanish colonisers.
The purpose of the exhibition was to recreate the colours the Aztec civilisation used in Tenochtitlan and which has since faded away over time. The Aztec artefacts on show are placed next to their reproductions in bright colours, rather than the grey shades - characteristic of volcanic rocks such as basalt, andesite and tezontle - they are usually displayed in.
Amongst the prize pieces are the skull of a sacrificed warrior which was decorated by the Aztecs to represent the god of death. The exact 3D replica restores its blue and black pigments, as well as the shell and pyrite adornments used to create an illusion of brightness in the eyes.
The Aztecs, a warlike and deeply religious people who built monumental works, ruled an empire stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, encompassing much of modern-day central Mexico.
The ancient city of Tenochtitlan, which once stood on the museum's ground by the waters of Lake Texcoco, is now the heart of the bustling megalopolis of Mexico City. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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