Pendant in the Form of a Grasshopper
Aztec Style
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
Chapultepec, or “Grasshopper Hill,” was the first Mexica settlement in the Valley of Mexico, and this carved aquamarine grasshopper pendant may have a symbolic association with the site. Located on the western shore of Lake Texcoco, Chapultepec Hill was a source of fresh water for the capital city of Tenochtitlán. It was also a sacred mountain shrine for Mexica rulers, who had their portraits carved in the rock cliffs. For the Mexica, grasshoppers signified the end of the rainy season, when crops started to grow.
Caption
Aztec Style. Pendant in the Form of a Grasshopper, late 19th or early 20th century (probably). Aquamarine (Beryl), 13/16 x 7/8 x 2 1/16 in. (2.1 x 2.2 x 5.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 39.56. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Pendant in the Form of a Grasshopper
Date
late 19th or early 20th century (probably)
Medium
Aquamarine (Beryl)
Classification
Dimensions
13/16 x 7/8 x 2 1/16 in. (2.1 x 2.2 x 5.2 cm)
Credit Line
Dick S. Ramsay Fund
Accession Number
39.56
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