Vitzliputzli

Mexico, second half of the 16th century; Gilt silver, pearls, pyrite. This unique figurine is the earliest surviving in-the-round work of goldsmithing from America. The name "Vitzliputzli" is presumably derived from the name of the Aztec war god, Huitzilopochtli. Long documented as part of the Nuremberg municipal art collections, this valuable little sculpture represents some of the earliest evidence of Nuremberg's contacts with the Americas.