Twelfth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

The Aztec Calendar Stone, more accurately known as the Sun Stone, is one of Mexico’s most famous and recognizable symbols. The massive basalt sculpture was carved during the reign of the Aztec emperor Moteuczoma Xocoyotzin (c. 1466 – 1520), and buried during the Spanish Conquest. It was not seen again until its accidental excavation on December 17th, 1790 during a leveling project of the main plaza in Mexico City. Under the rule of Mexican President Porfirio Díaz (1876 - 1910), the Sun Stone’s image was employed as part of national effort to integrate pre-Hispanic iconography to represent the newly independent Mexico. Simultaneously, the Díaz administration repressed the cultural practices, languages, and rights of indigenous populations in Mexico, including the present-day Aztec. My study examines the history of the display of the Sun Stone - both in Mexico and abroad – from its rediscovery in 1790 to the end of Porfirio Díaz’ presidency in 1910. I first explore the shifts in public opinion of the Sun Stone in Mexico, and how its image was strategically employed to embody Mexican national identity. Secondly, I investigate the use of the Sun Stone’s image abroad in World’s Fairs, such as the costly replicas that were sent to the Madrid World’s Fair of 1892, and the construction of the Aztec Palace for the Paris World’s Fair of 1889, whose façade and interior heavily reference the Sun Stone. Lastly, I question government-sanctioned usage of Aztec imagery in the construction of national identity.