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OBSIDIAN MIRROR Disk  • A selection from DUMA

Aztec, Central Mexico, A.D. 1300-1521, polished obsidian, above left; Lord Tezcatlipoca, above right, with mirror disks on chest and foot

Recently the Duke University Museum of Art was offered a highly unusual object for the collection —a rare and exquisite obsidian disk from the Pre-Columbian era, probably used for ceremonial purposes. Obsidian is a dark, natural glass of volcanic origin, derived from Mesoamerican sites found in Guatemala and the highlands of Central Mexico. Hand-polished disks such as this—convex-shaped and polished on both sides—are not widely known. After extensive research and consultation with specialists, the museum decided to acquire the piece.   The disk was offered to the museum as a mirror from the Ecuadorean Chorera culture (ca. 1100-400 B.C.E.), but experts David Joroloman and Justin and Barbara Kerr identified it to be of Aztec origin, pointing out the association of obsidian mirrors to the Aztec deity Lord Tezcatlipoca, whose name literally means “Smoking Mirror.” Tezcatlipoca was a deity of war and discord, who could also bring good fortune.   According to legend, Tezcatlipoca’s foot was bitten off by the Earth monster during the battle waged at the time of the separation of the Earth and waters; he replaced it with a serpent and smoking mirror. He also often wore a large mirror on his head or chest, as is known from ancient Mesoamerican paintings (see accompanying illustration from the ancient Codex Borgia for an image of Lord Tezcatlipoca depicted with obsidian disks on chest and foot).   Obsidian mirrors were adopted by Mesoamerican rulers as objects of power and divination, granting them a medium through which they could look into the future and connect with the realm of the gods. Both reflective and translucent, the obsidian mirror was seen as a threshold between two worlds, with the obsidian conceptualized as a membrane or tissue separating this earthly world from the beyond. Many ancient depictions survive showing mirrors being worn as part of ceremonial and military costumes, especially by the ruler.   The DUMA obsidian mirror is unusual in that it is highly refined and convex on both sides. It would have been ground and polished by hand using an abrasive substance without metal tools. Its shape is not a perfect circle. Although ancient artisans did not have the same measuring devices we might use today, they certainly had effective means to achieve geometric forms. Extremely striking, however, is the fact that, despite its translucency, it has several large lentoid, almost flame-like occlusions that are visible when the disk is held up to light. This suggests that it may have indeed been appreciated for both its mirror- and glass-like qualities simultaneously.   Another obsidian mirror comparable to the one in the DUMA collection was published recently in Burlington Magazine, confirming the museum’s research and suggesting the potential importance of the origins of the DUMA piece. The so-called “Inca Mirror,” in the Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, is also a bi-face and bi-convex disk, with similar lentoid occlusions.   According to the article, it is described as “one of the most important pieces in the [Paris] museum. It is said to come from Montezuma’s treasure, and to have been part of the cargo of a vessel belonging to Cortez taken by the corsairs Jean Fleury d’Honfleur or Jean Ango Dieppe.” The Paris mirror was already documented in that museum’s collection in 1742.   The name “Inca” most likely is a generic term for Pre-Columbian, rather than a designation of the its true origin. Although the early history of the DUMA obsidian mirror remains a mystery, it can be understood as being an extremely important cultural object from the ancient Americas.

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