Codex Vaticanus B (3773)

Codex Vaticanus B (3773)

A great period of exploration across the entire globe began with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America at the end of the 15th century. Nonetheless, this golden age of exploration also had negative aspects, the downfall of numerous ancient cultures in the newly discovered and colonized regions among them. Thankfully, a few artifacts and texts have survived, which contain knowledge about these lost worlds. The so-called Codex B of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana has a special place in the pre-colonial culture of the Aztecs in Mexico.

A Typical Aztec Manuscript

Codex 3773 or Codex Vaticanus B has preserved its pre-colonial look and feel and as a result is a unique testimonial to its provenance. The codex consisting of 48 parchment sheets measures 15.5 x 13.5 cm when folded and when opened is 7.3 meters long altogether! The double-sided, painted Mexican manuscript presents Aztecs culture, its foundations, and rituals in wonderful miniatures.

The Aztec Calendar in Focus

Codex Vaticanus B opens a fascinating pictorial world of divination. Its almanacs follow the 260-day ritual calendar, the tonalpohualli, connecting day signs with deities and prognostic information. The manuscript offers a captivating glimpse of how religious specialists chose auspicious times and conducted rituals with its guidance.

The Manuscript’s Artistic Content

All of these diverse aspects of Aztec culture present themselves to the attentive observer in brightly-colored miniatures, which combine human and animal figures with abstract, meaningful geometric patterns. There are also large-format primary pictures surrounded by pictorial friezes alongside tabular-designed pages. These appear almost like a metaphorical language. The Codex Vaticanus B – as a part of the Borgia Manuscript Collection of the Vatican Library – and its **fascinating picture program give an exciting glimpse into Aztec Mexico, allowing an entire culture to come to life!