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The Aztecs and colour

image: Sculpture of Xiuhtecuhtli ('Lord of Fire')

Aztecs: (Nahuatl) A pre-Hispanic empire that controlled much of central Mexico, with a capital in Tenochtitlan, up until the Spanish conquest. The Aztecs called themselves the Culhua-Mexica. 'Huey Tlatoani' or 'Great Speaker' was the title of their supreme ruler.

What did the Aztecs look like?

Most of the Aztec people were short, between 155 and 165 cm. Their skin varied in colour from dark to light brown and they had dark hair and eyes. The men had no beards and wore little clothing except a loincloth and a mantle.

This was a rectangular piece of cloth tied over one shoulder, made from woven maguey fibre or later cotton. The Aztec people used no pins or buttons. Aztec women were generally shorter than the men and wore their hair long, often braided with ribbons during festival days. They wore a rectangular piece of cloth like a poncho, with holes for their head and arms, over an ankle-length underskirt, often covered with embroidered designs.

Also See:

Textile dyeing
Colour around the world
Romans and colour