LOST ARTS IN MEXICO.--GOLDSMITHS' WORK IN THE TIME OF CORTEZ.--SILVER
FILIGREE.--MODELLING IN WAX AND CLAY.--NATIVE TASTE FOR MUSIC.--NATIONAL
CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC.--MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES.--THE SACRIFICIAL
STONE.--SACRIFICES AMONG THE ANCIENT MEXICANS.--GLADIATORIAL STONE.--A
BRAVE SOLDIER.--OBSIDIAN KNIVES AND RAZORS.--AZTEC METALLURGY.--STATUE
OF THE GOD OF WAR.--SHIELD AND CLOAK OF MONTEZUMA.--AZTEC WARFARE AND
DOMESTIC LIFE.--RELICS OF HIDALGO AND MAXIMILIAN.--MAX'S STATE
COACH.--NATIONAL PALACE.--HALL OF THE AMBASSADORS.--MEXICAN
PAINTINGS.--THE MONTE DE PIEDAD.--AN EXTENSIVE PAWN-SHOP.--LOCKING UP
MEN AS SECURITY.--FORMALITIES OF THE SALESROOM.
Fine as is the artistic taste of the Indians of Mexico to-day, it is far
behind that of the people whom Cortez found there. According to history
and tradition, their work in the precious metals surpassed that of any
of the goldsmiths of Europe; they fashioned gold and silver into the
shape of plants, birds, fishes, and quadrupeds, and their imitations
were marvellously correct in all their details. All this art seems to be
lost, with the exception of the working of silver filigree, which still
holds high rank. Cortez sent to Spain some exquisite specimens of Aztec
work in gold and silver; and the cupidity of the King, impelled by the
necessities of the Government, put all these precious works of
Occidental art into the melting-pot, the resort of the modern burglar
when he wishes to remove the trace of his depredations.
[Illustration: WAX MODEL OF WATER-CARRIER.]
All through their journey in Mexico the youths had been impressed with
the little figures, modelled out of wax or clay, representing the
various people of the country and their occupations. These statuettes
are made by uneducated savages with hardly any tools, colored with
native pigments, and baked in the sun or in primitive ovens.
Water-carriers, porters, muleteers, mozos of all names and kinds,
flower-sellers, beggars, street peddlers, basket-makers--all and many
more are represented. The figures are generally covered with cloth
tinted of the appropriate colors; but if not so tinted, the colors are
wrought into the plastic material of which the figure is composed. Our
young friends bought a goodly supply of these figures, and had them
carefully packed for transportation. Fred thought they were fully equal
in artistic design and workmanship to any of the figures they had seen
in Japan, China, or India representing the trades and occupations of the
far East.
[Illustration: ANCIENT INDIAN POTTERY.]
Mention has been made of the pottery of the Guadalajara Indians, which
is wrought into a great many fantastic forms. These Indians have great
ability in portraiture; they will model in a wonderfully short time a
statuette of an individual either from life or from a photograph. An
enterprising American once planned to take some of these people to the
principal cities of the United States and Europe, and open an
establishment for the manufacture of statuettes of individuals at ten or
twenty dollars each. His project was not carried out, for the reason
that the Indians refused to leave their homes. The native Mexican is
averse to changing his residence, and it requires a great inducement to
take him away from his native soil.
The women show unusual dexterity with the needle, and their embroidery
equals that of the natives of India and other Eastern lands. They
display great industry and patience, and while seated in the
market-place beside the wares they offer for sale their spare moments
are generally devoted to stitching.
[Illustration: MEXICAN HOUSE MAID AND CHILDREN.]
"In no part of the world where we have been," said Frank, "have we found
a more musical people than the natives of Mexico. They 'catch on' to a
tune or air with great readiness, and gentlemen who live here tell us
they have known Indians to sing a common melody through without a
mistake after hearing it only once, and this, too, when they have no
scientific knowledge of music, or even of its first principles. They
learn readily to play upon musical instruments, and a street band can be
organized and trained in less time than a street band in any other part
of the world. Some of these bands are composed of boys of about fifteen
years of age, and their performances almost invariably excite the
admiration of musical strangers.
"We are told that the Government is encouraging the musical tastes of
the people by giving free instruction to pupils in the National
Conservatory of Music, and supporting them during their studies by small
allowances of money. We have heard of pupils that came on foot for
hundreds of miles to be musically educated in the capital. In order to
secure admission to the Conservatory, they must pass an examination
similar to that of musical schools in other parts of the world. Mrs.
Gooch, the author of a book on Mexico, mentions two girls who walked
from Queretaro to the capital to present themselves as pupils in the
Conservatory. She says she heard them sing selections from Italian
opera, and the sweetness, strength, and range of their voices were far
beyond the average, and produced a profound impression upon the
audience."
"Speaking of girls," said Fred, "reminds us that the Mexican children of
both the upper and lower classes treat their parents with the greatest
respect, and set an example that the children of the United States
might do well to follow. They remind us of Japanese and Chinese children
more than of any other we have seen, and are very much unlike the little
folks of English-speaking countries in this one particular. Since we
came into the country, whenever we have seen a badly behaved child we
have found that he belonged to a foreign family. Old people are
invariably cared for by their children, who would suffer all sorts of
privations rather than have their parents want for anything they can
possibly provide."
[Illustration: THE SACRIFICIAL STONE.]
Having seen and described the Aztec calendar-stone, Frank and Fred were
naturally drawn to the National Museum and to the sacrificial stone,
which has been mentioned, and is one of the great attractions of the
place.
[Illustration: ONE FORM OF SACRIFICIAL STONE.]
"It is a block of porphyry," said Fred, "like a huge millstone, three
feet high and ten feet across. All around the sides are relief figures
representing captives being held by the hair of the head. There are
fifteen of these groups, and they are said to represent fifteen
victories gained by one of the emperors over as many neighboring States.
A symbol in the corner of the panel of each group shows what city or
State is represented. The stone was made about the year 1486 of our era,
but its complete history is unknown.
[Illustration: SACRIFICIAL COLLAR.]
"Tizoc was the emperor whose deeds the stone commemorates, and it is
sometimes called Tizoc's Stone in consequence of this fact. The Stone of
Sacrifice is sometimes confounded with the Gladiatorial Stone, which was
generally placed in the courts of the temples, and was the scene of a
gladiatorial combat. Mr. Charnay, in 'Ancient Cities of the New World,'
says the captive, if a man of distinction, was tied to this stone and
allowed to fight with several opponents in succession; and if he
succeeded in defeating them all he was permitted to escape. They took
good care not to let this happen very often, as the numbers were against
him; and, furthermore, he had only a wooden sword ornamented with
feathers, while his enemies had weapons of obsidian, which were sharp as
steel. When he was vanquished, as he generally was, he was immediately
stretched on the Gladiatorial Stone or on the Stone of Sacrifice. A
wooden collar was placed across his neck to prevent his struggling, and
five priests held his head and limbs. Then a sixth priest, who wore a
scarlet mantle, opened the breast of the victim with a sharp knife of
itzli, or obsidian, tore out the heart, held it up to the sun for a
moment, and then cast it at the feet of the divinity to whom the temple
was dedicated.
[Illustration: THE FORM OF SACRIFICE.]
"While this was going on the multitude knelt in adoration of the
divinity. The body of the victim was thrown down from the stone to the
people, by whom it was divided to be served up at their feasts. The
difference between sacrifice on the Gladiatorial Stone and the Stone of
Sacrifice was that the latter was on the top of the temple, where
everybody could see it, while the former was in the court of the
edifice, and only accessible to a select few.
[Illustration: SCULPTURES FROM TIZOC'S STONE.]
"The same authority," continued Fred, "tells us that the Mexicans were
very punctilious about this ceremony even when they were the victims of
it. A soldier when captured was reserved for sacrifice. He would
consider himself disgraced, and would rather suffer death than be
liberated except after a gladiatorial combat. There is a story of a
chief who was captured and taken before Montezuma; he had a high
reputation as a warrior, and, on learning his name, the King treated him
with honor, spared his life, and offered him his liberty. The chief
refused the offer, and demanded that he should be devoted to the gods,
according to custom. After trying in vain to have him change his mind,
Montezuma ordered that the chief should be tied to the stone and
permitted to fight with some of the King's best soldiers, while the King
himself, accompanied by his officers, should witness the combat. The
chief killed eight men and wounded twenty; but he was finally
overpowered, and carried off to be sacrificed to the war-god
Huitzilopochtli."
[Illustration: GLADIATORIAL STONE--FROM AN AZTEC DRAWING.]
"But you haven't said what these knives were with which the priests
killed their victims," Frank remarked, as Fred paused. "What is
obsidian?"
"It is a mineral substance," replied Doctor Bronson, to whom the
question was referred, "and is formed by the cooling of the lava from a
volcano. When lava cools it forms into obsidian and pumice. Everybody
knows what pumice-stone is. Obsidian is a substance hard enough to
scratch glass, and is capable of taking a high polish and a keen edge.
The Mexicans called it itzli, and used it for making knives, razors,
arrow-tips, saws, and other implements."
"Did they have a knowledge of any of the metals besides gold and
silver?"
"They had no knowledge of iron, but they made use of copper, and knew
how to temper it so as to make it nearly as hard as steel. They used it
for many of their implements, but they also had great skill in the use
of implements of stone, flint, obsidian, and other minerals. They knew
about lead and tin, but made little use of them, copper being their only
metal for making into tools. Knives, scissors, and hatchets of copper
were abundant. Bernal Diaz, who accompanied Cortez, mentions six hundred
hatchets of copper that were paid to the conqueror as tribute by one
tribe of natives. There are scissors in the Mexican museum which are
said to contain tin, copper, lead, and platinum, and Humboldt says the
Peruvian Indians made use of a similar alloy in making scissors and
other implements."
[Illustration: HUITZILOPOCHTLI, THE GOD OF WAR.]
Frank and Fred thanked the Doctor for the information they had received,
and then turned to contemplate the statue of the god of war to whom the
brave chief just mentioned was sacrificed.
"It is a hideous statue," said Fred, "about ten feet high, and
appearing at first glance to be composed of heads and hands. It was
found in the great square not far from the calendar-stone, and after
close examination we found that it had a skirt of snakes. It was also
called the God of Death, and this significance is shown by a skull which
is sculptured near the centre.
"Skulls and snakes were favorite objects of adoration with the Mexicans,
if we are to judge by the frequency with which we find them displayed.
It is said that there was a wall around the principal temple of
Tenochtitlan composed of colossal heads of snakes carved in stone; some
of these have been found and are preserved in the museum. There is a
coiled serpent there, covered with feathers instead of scales; it is
carved in stone and is a very creditable piece of sculpture.
"They called our attention to a figure which is called the 'Indio
Triste,' or Sad Indian. It seemed to us that the name was not justified,
as the Indian was anything but sad. Mr. Brantz Mayer thinks this figure
was set on a wall or battlement, and held a candlestick or the staff of
a banner in its hand. It was found in the year 1828 in the street that
is now called Calle del Indio Triste in commemoration of the discovery.
"Another interesting object was the shield of Montezuma, which has upon
it the feather-work for which the people are famous, and also his cloak
of the same material. It is evident that the feather-workers, wonderful
as they are, have degenerated since the time of the Conquest. They used
to make feather-cloth, and we have seen some curiosities in the shape of
scarfs, serapes, and rebozos ornamented with feathers, and said to be
very old. They make none of these things now, but confine themselves to
pictures on cards, where the feathers are made to adhere by means of
paste or wax. Each feather is handled separately, and none of the skin
is ever applied to the card. You can give them a design and they will
fill it up very quickly.
"Well, perhaps we have tired you out among the curiosities of ancient
Mexico, and we will turn to more modern things. We could spend hours
among the weapons which illustrate the warfare of the ancient Mexicans,
and also the implements that reveal their domestic life and ways. Some
of the Aztec picture-writings, which we have already mentioned, are to
be seen in the museum, and after what we had heard of them we found them
very interesting. One of the specimens preserved here is supposed to
represent the migrations of the Aztec tribes.
"Among the modern objects is the standard raised by Hidalgo in 1810, in
the revolution which ultimately resulted in the independence of Mexico
from Spain. The gun, handkerchief, and cane of Hidalgo are also shown,
together with other mementos of that hero. Then there are a portrait of
Cortez, and the standard which was carried at the head of his columns in
the conquest of Mexico; and there are the armor of some of his
companions, and portraits of the successive viceroys that ruled the
country by authority of the King of Spain.
"Maximilian has been repeatedly brought to our minds by the relics of
his ill-fated reign. Here is his table service of silver; and they tell
us that the metal is not solid, but plated. The Mexicans consider it
typical of the plated empire which he undertook to set up in America
through the aid of the charlatan emperor, Louis Napoleon. His state
coach is also preserved and shown to visitors; evidently it is highly
prized, as the doors of the room where it is kept are always locked, and
a fee is required to open it. The vehicle is the finest in America, and
it even surpasses, so it is said, the state carriages of many of the
imperial and royal establishments of Europe.
"It is lined with white silk brocade, and the trimmings are of heavy
silver thread. The wheels are so thickly gilded that you might suppose
them to be of solid gold, and the body of the coach is dark red in
color. The harness is in keeping with the coach, and altogether the
vehicle makes an interesting show. We are told that Maximilian
negotiated large loans in England to set up his empire here, and that
the debt he incurred forms one of the financial burdens now resting on
Mexico."
[Illustration: THE NATIONAL PALACE.]
From the museum our friends went to the palace, which occupies the
eastern side of the Plaza Mayor, and is said to be the largest building
in the city. Before the Conquest, Montezuma's palace stood on the site
which fell to Cortez when the conquerors drew lots for the possession of
the city of Tenochtitlan, or, rather, the place where it stood. Cortez
erected a building here which remained until 1692, when it was destroyed
in a great riot, and the present palace was begun. It has been added to
from time to time, so that now it is neither symmetrical nor handsome.
Several departments of the Government, including the Presidency, are
located in the building, and its great extent renders it of decided
utility.
"We went through the palace in charge of a guide from the hotel," wrote
Frank in his journal, "and found it well worth the time and trouble of a
visit. In one respect it reminded us of the Capitol at Washington, as it
seemed to be the resort of office-seekers, claim-agents, lobbyists, and
all that sort of people which every resident of Washington knows so well
and so numerously. They were in all the patios, and in the corridors in
all directions. We asked how many rooms there are in the palace, but
nobody whom we asked could tell us, and after repeating the question
several times we gave it up.
"Some of the rooms are magnificently furnished; they represent, to a
certain extent, the varying fortunes of Mexico under different rulers.
One room, called the Hall of Iturbide, has its walls hung in crimson
damask, and displays the Eagle and Serpent of Mexico; this room is not
far from the Hall of the Ambassadors, the largest room in the palace.
It is over 300 feet long, but is narrow in proportion to its length. In
this hall we saw portraits of the principal heroes of the Mexican War of
Independence, together with portraits of Juarez, Diaz, and other
Presidents. They are mostly by Mexican artists, some being well, and
others badly, painted.
[Illustration: GEN. MANUEL GONZALES, FORMER PRESIDENT OF MEXICO.]
"At the end of the hall is a painting, twenty-five feet long by ten in
height, representing the great battle of Puebla, of May 5, 1862, when
the French were so completely defeated--the battle commonly mentioned in
Mexican history as the _Cinco de Mayo_. It is by Miranda, a native
artist; and though it is not a fine specimen of painting, it is a
correct representation of the ground on which the battle was fought--at
least, so a gentleman says who has personally visited it. The scene
illustrated in the battle is the turning-point, when a regiment of
ragged Indians from Oajaca came into line, drove back the French, and
gave the victory to the Republicans. This battle is regarded as the
Waterloo or Gettysburg of the French in Mexico; it sealed the fate of
Maximilian's empire and re-established the republic.
"Speaking again of Maximilian reminds us of a room which is on a corner
of the palace, so that it has two windows at right angles. This was his
favorite apartment, and in the latter part of his reign he used to pace
its floor for hours. An English visitor says he could look from it two
ways at once, though not the way to hold his throne. One window looks
upon the market-place, and the other on the Plaza Mayor; the room is now
the storage-place of relics, no one seeming to care to put it to any
other use."
[Illustration: COLLATERAL IN THE MONTE DE PIEDAD.]
From the palace to the pawn-shop may not seem a very natural step,
though Frank said it had probably been taken by more people than would
be willing to acknowledge it. Doctor Bronson and the youths took this
step at the city of Mexico, and it was not a very long one either. The
Monte de Piedad is not far from the National Palace; it corresponds to
the famous Mont de Piété of Paris, and is in most of its features
analogous to that French institution. Here is what Fred learned about
it:
[Illustration: TO THE PAWN SHOP.]
"It has been in operation for more than 150 years, and was founded by
Count de Regia Don Pedro Terreros, whose intentions were purely
philanthropic; he endowed it with $300,000 in the hope of relieving the
poor, and those in temporary need of money, from the oppression of the
_empeños_, or ordinary pawn shops.
"According to the rules of the institution, the depositor gets one-third
the estimated value of his goods at an interest varying from three to
twelve and a half per cent. per annum. He must renew his tickets every
eight months, and when he ceases to pay interest upon his loans the
goods are kept for seven months, and then offered for sale at an
appraiser's valuation. If there is no offer for them in one month, the
appraisement is reduced, and then they are offered for another month.
The performance is repeated monthly for six months, and then the goods
are sold at auction. If they do not bring as much as the appraised
valuation, the appraisers must make up the deficiency out of their own
pockets!
"Anything and everything of any value may be pawned here, and the vaults
have contained at different times money, jewels, and precious metals
sufficient to endow an empire. Not all the property here stored has been
pawned. Many valuables are brought here for safety, as the place is a
sort of fortress in its way, and most carefully guarded.
"They showed us through the vaults where the diamonds, pearls, rubies,
and other precious stones are kept, and we saw more of these costly
baubles than we ever looked at before in a single hour. We glanced
through the vaults where pictures, silver plate, watches, clocks,
porcelain, and kindred things were stored, and then were taken to the
money vaults, which at times have contained millions of dollars in
silver and gold. The Monte de Piedad was, until a few years ago, a
regular banking institution, and its notes were 'good as gold' all
through Mexico. Its credit was impaired by the withdrawal of its
reserves by the Government, and its banking business received a severe
blow.
[Illustration: OCCASIONAL PATRONS OF THE MONTE DE PIEDAD.]
"Money is not loaned on real estate, or on anything else that cannot be
deposited within its vaults. They tell us that a foreign merchant once
came here to borrow money for business purposes, and was accompanied by
two friends who were to indorse his paper and 'go his security.' The
official into whose hands they fell said the establishment would make
the loan at the usual rates, but before completing the transaction he
showed the 'securities' the room in which they would be locked up until
the note was paid. We did not ask further particulars, but presume the
loan was not made.
"The profits of the bank formerly went to the Church, but latterly they
have been used for establishing branches elsewhere in the city and all
over the country. The Monte de Piedad is a national institution and of
great value to the people. One dollar is the smallest amount loaned, and
the largest is $10,000, and the loans are said to average, large and
small, about sixteen dollars each. The number rarely falls below 200
loans in a day, and sometimes rises to 2000. About one-third of the
articles deposited in the bank are never redeemed.
"Sales of clothing are held on certain days of the month, of precious
stones on other days, and of pictures and statuary on others. While we
were looking through the room devoted to sales, Doctor Bronson saw an
article which he desired, and he at once offered to buy it at the price
which was marked upon the card attached to it.
"'I must first offer it for sale,' said the official in charge of the
place. 'The law requires that I shall do so.'
"So he held up the article and asked if anybody present would give more.
"It happened at the time that there was no one in the room but ourselves
and the officials of the bank. The chances of any other offer were not
great, as neither Frank nor myself was likely to make a higher bid.
After a brief pause he handed the article over to Doctor Bronson and
received the money--rather, I should say, he received the money and
handed over the article, as the bank does not let anything out of its
possession until the cash has been paid into the proper hands."