Artist: Unattributed Title: Scenes of the Passion Date: 16th Century Location: Spain (now thought to be Mexico) Materials: Carved boxwood, hummingbird feathers, gold, enamel Dimensions: 4.4 cm x 4.4 cm (1¾ in x 1¾ in) Rights/Image Permissions: Public Domain. Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 10.141.2
The colonization of Mexico brought forth changes to the lives of the indigenous people of the Americas. Spain was largely Roman Catholic- which was deeply woven into the fabric of Iberian culture and art. When Spanish colonizers arrived in the Americas, churches and schools replaced temples to indoctrinate the Aztec people into Christianity. The influence of Catholicism can also be seen in colonial art from Mexico. The colonizers took interest in the pre-colonial Aztec art, specifically amantecayotl, or “feather work”. The feathers were often used in art which we made for Aztec nobility or worship of Aztec gods. During colonization, this technique was incorporated with Flemish “micro carvings”, using boxwood to create rosary and prayer beads, altarpieces, and other religious pieces.
In Scenes of the Passion the boxwood carvings depict the five final scenes of Christ’s passion - the garden of Gethsemane, flagellation, Christ before Pontius Pilate, Christ carrying the cross, and the Crucifixion. The exterior is wrapped in gold, with enamel inlaid to create an intricate design. This piece, once a pendant on a necklace, would have been worn to show the wearer’s devotion. The hummingbird feathers in this piece placed behind its carving would have created an iridescent effect that has worn away over time.
The use of different mediums has created uncertainty over the origins of the piece. Hummingbird feathers are native to the Americas, and do not appear in Europe. However, boxwood bush is native only to Northern Europe. This, as well as the lack of documentation surrounding the piece, means historians can only speculate its history and its author.
Author Bio: Britney Dodge is a senior communication studies and theatre arts major at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Outside of classes, she is involved in Concordia's theatre. In her free time, she loves to travel and hang out with pets!