- Free and Ticketed Things to Do at British Museum - mikule
The changing exhibitions in the British Museum’s central Reading Room gallery always attract large crowds. Following on from the stunning “Shah ‘Abbas: The Remaking of Iran” exhibition in early 2009 came a chance to see the final slice in Mexico’s Aztec life.
Charting the rise and fall of the penultimate leader Moctezuma, the exhibition includes sacrificial fonts, pottery, jewelry, stonework, masks and Spanish literary and artistic accounts of explorer Hernan Cortes’ expedition to Moctezuma’s palace in Tenochtitlan.
Moctezuma / Montezuma and Mexico / Mexica
For the purposes of their exhibition, the British Museum has decided to use the less corrupted translation of the Aztec ruler’s name, hence ‘Moctezuma’ rather than the more commonly used ‘Montezuma’. In addition, they employ the word ‘Mexica’, which is the term used to describe the indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico. The Valley made up the empire presided over by Moctezuma and his forefathers and covered a central band across the present-day Mexico. While ‘Aztec’ is often used to describe the Mexica people, the Spanish took on their word ‘Mexica’ and used it to name their newly conquered country.
Moctezuma the Second was born in 1467 and was elected ruler of the Aztecs in 1502. He had a reputation as a formidable warrior and military ruler and during his rule expanded the Aztec Empire to its maximum size and like previous rulers also extended the royal palace.
The Aztecs are believed to have settled in the Basin of Mexico around 1200, founding the capital of Tenochtitlan in 1325 on an island in Lake Tetzcoco. There is little left of the lake now. It was drained to prevent the flooding of Mexico City, which now occupies the area where Tenochtitlan and most of the lake once sat.
Objects on Display were used in Aztec Sacrifice and Calendars
Until the Spanish invasion in the early 1500s, Moctezuma’s authority went unchallenged. His power was demonstrated in human sacrifices to Aztec gods and seen in the fearsome stonework around the palace complex. In the fifth year of Moctezuma’s reign a New Fire ceremony was marked and the exhibition at the museum talks about the workings of the Aztec calendar. It runs on a 52-year ‘century’ and in 1507 the Aztecs marked the end of a 52-year calendar cycle. Many artifacts on display are engraved with the Aztec date and plaques point out date markings represented by figures such as the rabbit, the snake, death or the reed.
Many of the stone sculptures and objects are on display for the first time in the UK and include rare gold and turquoise masks, nose plugs, bracelets and necklaces. The masks are particularly captivating as they are decorated in mosaic with tiny stones, which cover the entire face. One gruesome example uses a real human skull for its foundation.
Throughout the exhibition, codices provide written accounts about the Aztec lifestyle and many of these include colourful Aztec illustrations. At the end of the exhibition is a large portrait of Moctezuma. In stark contrast to earlier representations, the last great ruler of the Mexica people appears weak and defeated, no doubt forced into submission by Cortes. He died in 1520, barely a year after Cortes’ fleet landed on the shores of Mexico. The circumstances of his death are still not full known but almost 500 years later, his legend lives on.
Tickets for Aztec Ruler and Other Events at London’s British Museum
The British Museum offers free entry to all year round but special exhibitions require the advance purchase of tickets. For the Aztec Ruler exhibition, tickets are £12 for adults and free for children under the age of sixteen. A ‘family sheet’ to read and fill out while looking at the displays can be picked up upon entry to the gallery and provides an interesting diversion for children. Audio guides are also available for an additional fee.
The museum runs special events and workshops such as film screenings, lectures and family events related to the exhibition. A list of these can be found on the British Museum website.
Special exhibitions in 2010 include ‘Kingdom of Life: Sculptures from West Africa” and a display of Italian Renaissance Drawings. Advance purchase online is advisable before the opening of an exhibition but after the first few weeks, ‘day of’ tickets can usually be bought at the museum.
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