Seated Figure Drinking Chocolate (Detail from the Codex Zouche-Nuttall)
Manuscript illumination on a screensfold deerskin book • Mixtec artists (Scribes or Tlacuiloque) from the Oaxaca region of Mexico
Style & Movement
Mixtec-Puebla Style (also known as International Style of the Post-Classic)
Medium & Technique
Natural mineral and organic pigments applied over a fine calcium carbonate (stucco) gesso layer using decorative line-and-fill drawing technique
Creation Period
Post-Classic Period (c. 1200–1521 AD)
Dimensions & Format
Original codex panels are approximately 19 x 23.5 cm; orientation is vertical within a horizontal screensfold sequence
Subject Description
A noble or deity figure seated on a throne, drinking foamy chocolate from a ceramic vessel. The scene represents ritual consumption or a marriage negotiation (possibly involving Lady 3 Flint or Lord 8 Deer). The figure wears elaborate earspools, necklaces, and a distinctive headdress, characteristic of Mixtec status codification.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Fair to Good; significant surface abrasion, pigment loss, and cracking are visible in the gesso surface
Estimated Market Value
Priceless (National Heritage Artifact); Estimated market surrogate for a fragment: $500,000 - $1,000,000 USD
Auction Estimate
High-end archaeological artifacts of this rarity are rarely auctioned; estimate exceeds $2,000,000 USD for a complete original leaf
Provenance History
Presented to Charles V in the 16th century; later owned by the Monastery of San Marco, Florence; acquired by Robert Curzon (Baron Zouche) in 1854; donated to the British Museum in 1917
Art Historical Significance
One of the few pre-Columbian Mixtec manuscripts to survive the Spanish Conquest; essential for understanding Mixtec genealogy, history, and ritual life.
Notable Features
Features the 'vortex' or scroll indicating foam on the chocolate vessel, a specific iconographic marker of high-status Mixtec banqueting.
Condition Issues
Flaking of the plaster ground, oxidation of certain pigment areas, edge wear to the deerskin, and horizontal creasing from the screensfold format.
Conservation Recommendations
Strict humidity control (45-55% RH), UV protection, and mounting in a low-oxygen or inert gas environment to prevent further degradation of organic dyes.