Genealogy and Land Record of Juan Tepetzin (Fragmento de las Mujeres)

The Genealogy of Juan Tepetzin records the distinguished heritage and landholdings of a member of the Tlaxcalan elite, who appears at the bottom dressed in a dark tilmatl, or cloak. Such genealogies were important for land transfers in Tlaxcalan society, in which the nobility were prohibited from selling land to commoners. As a member of the indigenous elite, Tepetzin could also claim privileged status within the Spanish colonial system, which distinguished Indian nobles from their common brethren.