Signs of resistance: Iconography and semasiography in Otomi architectural decoration and manuscripts of the early colonial period

Abstract

The indigenous peoples of central Mexico developed a complex and sophisticated system for the visual expression of culture during the three millennia preceding the Spanish conquest. Central Mexican imagery was materialized in sculpture and painting, in monumental and portable formats, including the embellishment of architectural surfaces and the painting of manuscripts. This system continued to function in a variety of cultural contexts for over a century after the conquest, as native peoples adapted to colonial rule and interaction with European colonists. In this article, a brief review of the fundamental principles of central Mexican visual language is presented, then examples of sculpted images from early colonial public architecture in Otomi towns are discussed, comparing their signs to those found in pictorial manuscripts painted in the early colonial period. These examples reflect the cultural tenacity and ethnic resistance of the indigenous sculptors and painters. They also reveal the resilience of central Mexican visual language, which continued to serve the interests of native peoples coping with life under Spanish rule. Keywords: ethnicity iconography semasiography