Fluidity of Meaning: The Elusive ‘Aztec’ Mask in the Medici Collection

Abstract

This paper explores the history of how a small mask was acquired by the Medici Collection, which is presently in the Palazzo Pitti, Museo degli Argenti, Inv. Gemme nr. 707. It tries to reconstruct the complex process in which different meanings were attached to a cross-cultural artefact, arguing that the Tuscan artists and viewers that were involved had a fairly good knowledge of the ancient cults of the West Indies. The object therefore represented the complex and multifaceted relationship of early modern Europe with pre-Columbian America. Whether genuine or a forgery, the mask became a repository of knowledge about the New World.