The Colors of the Pre-Hispanic Codices from Central Mexico: Material Characterization, Plastic Qualities and Aesthetic Values

Abstract

This article outlines the investigation of some of the plastic and aesthetic values that presided over the selection and preparation of the colorant materials employed to illuminate the codices created by the Nahua of Central Mexico during the Late Postclassic. These codices are interesting as recent archaeometrical analysis and codicological examination has revealed the materiality of their pictorial layers together with the formal characteristics and behavior of colors in these works of art. One of the most significant contributions of these studies has undoubtedly been the discovery that the chromatic palette employed in the painting of the codices of Central Mexico was primarily of organic origin. This being in stark contrast to the nature of the pigments detected in the remains of mural paintings and in the sculptures created by the Nahua, which were mostly of mineral origin. The objective of this article is to examine the reason for these differences and to demonstrate that the use of pigments prepared with organic colorants in the codices obey to a specific plastic purpose that coincided with the prevailing aesthetic ideals of Nahuatl society.