The Codex Borbonicus consists of 32 leaves of amátl fig paper and is likely the oldest of the surviving Aztec manuscripts from Mexico.It was produced early in the 16th century and although 1507 is bandied around as the date, it's more likely the work was completed after the conquest by the Spanish in 1521. The contents are definitely all pre-Columbian however.
The majority of the scroll displays a divinatory calendar from which one could derive predictions about a birth from an illustration of the date and influencing Gods. It is also a guide of sorts to important feasts but this latter section of the work is better preserved and was probably consulted less often.
There are quite a few images from this manuscript on the internet but none are of high quality. The original is available in its entirety but at relatively low magnification.
- The images here are from the Foundation for the Advancement of MesoAmerican Studies - 3 pages of thumbnails.
- The original Codex Borbonicus is housed by La Bibliotéque de l'Assemblée Nationale in France [1.7Mb - side to side scrolling].
- Realms of the Sacred in Daily Life: Early Written Records of MesoAmerica at the University of California - Irvine, has the best description of the meaning of each of the codex leaves.
- The Continuum of Life in Codex Borbonicus by Karl Young.
- Artistic questions and answers from the Hispanic Research Center at Arizona State University.
- Previous entries here: Codex Magliabecchi; Codex Laud.
- For anybody keen: Mortuary practices among the Aztec in the light of ethnohistorical and archaeological sources by David Iguaz at University College London.
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