MOTHER-OF-PEARL COYOTE 305
T
his fascinating and striking
object is a lid for an effigy jar
(a vessel styled as human or
animal) from the Toltec civilization
of Mesoamerica (c.900–c.1150 CE).
According to one theory, the lid portrays
the god Quetzalcoatl with human features,
but it is more widely thought to represent
a Toltec warrior’s helmet, which imitated a
coyote’s head and had an opening for the
warrior’s face between its jaws.
The lid displays intricate craftsmanship:
it is modelled in clay and inlaid with carved
mother-of-pearl and bone. The helmet it
depicts is that of the Coyote order, one
of the military classes of the Toltec, which
included the Eagle and Jaguar, among
others. Such a helmet indicated a degree of
military rank, while also signifying a state
of existence between the material world
and the animal spirit world. Warriors also
dressed in imitation of the animal’s body.
The artefact was found in Tula (in
modern-day Mexico), once the capital
city of the Toltec Empire. The Toltec, who
predated the Aztec, were a warlike people
who dominated the region through military
force. Religion played an important role in
their lives, and human sacrifice to appease
the gods was a key component of worship.
Evidence of this at Tula includes a
tzompantli, a skull rack for displaying the
heads of sacrificial victims. In addition,
three chacmool statues were found –
reclining warrior figures clutching bowls
intended to receive human hearts and
other sacrificial offerings for the gods.
Key dates
250 CE–1970
0
1000
1100
1200
1500
1900
1950
2000
c.900–c.1150 CE The
Toltec civilization dominates
in Mesoamerica, during
which time the effigy
vessel lid is crafted
935–47 CE The legendary
ruler of the Toltecs,
Ce Acatl Topiltzin, is
born. He later also uses
the title Quetzalcoatl
c.1345–1521 The Aztecs,
who revere and claim
descent from the Toltecs,
are the new power in
Mesoamerica
c.1150 The Toltec capital
of Tula is abandoned
and destroyed
Toltec statue at Tula
The Toltecs of tradition
were chiefly remarkable
for their intense love of art
Lewis Spence, author
Mother-of-pearl coyote
Portrait of a Native American man wearing a
coyote head dress – the animal remained a powerful
symbol for many cultures
△ Quetzalcoatl, the Mesoamerican god of wind and learning
Chacmool statue from the Toltec era. The Toltec religion
included sacrifice, and these statues were made to hold
human organs for the gods
250–950 CE The Classic
Maya Period occurs,
predating the Toltec
1156–68 The remaining
Toltecs flee Tula and
settle at Chapultepec
on Lake Texcoco
The ruins of the Toltec
city of Tula
1950–70 Archeological
work identifies Tula
as a Toltec city
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