Mesoamerican Manuscript Facsimiles

January 16 – March 3, 2014

This exhibition showcases the Mesoamerican manuscript facsimiles that are located in the Kohler Art Library.  The Aztec (Codex Borgia, Codex Fejérváry-Mayer, Codex Borbonicus, and Codex Vaticanus Lat. 3773), Mayan (Codex Dresdensis Maya), and Mixtec (Codex Edgerton and Codex Colombino) facsimiles have been published to replicate the original Pre-Columbian and early Spanish conquest era books.

The Aztec and Mayan codices focus mainly on religious content such as divinatory calendars, gods, rituals, and prophecies.  By contrast, the Mixtec codices are historical in nature and deal with genealogy, marriages, and military and political conquests. Like the original manuscripts, all of the facsimiles use the accordion or screenfold format.

The collaborative artists’ book, Codex Espangliensis: from Columbus to the Border Patrol, uses the accordion structure as it pays homage to the Pre-Columbian manuscript and takes a contemporary look at cross cultural interactions and influences.

This exhibit was curated by Lyn Korenic, Director, Kohler Art Library.

Image from:  Codex Fejérváry-Mayer.  Graz: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanst., 1971.