Butterflies Take Wing: Ritual and Symbolism in Precolumbian Mesoamerica

Butterfly imagery has been present for thousands of years in Mesoamerica whether painted, modelled, or sculpted. Its life cycle, bright colours, and soaring flight captivated the mind of culturally diverse peoples in the Americas for its significance as a symbol of renewal, transformation, fire, war, and death. This session draws on a diverse range of methodological enquiries based on recent iconographic and archaeological research about butterfly representation in Mesoamerica: ceramics from West Mexico, Toltec sculptures, Zapotec effigy vessels, Teotihuacan ceramics and mural paintings, and Postclassic books (codices) and gold. The methodologically and thematically diverse papers aim to grasp the multifaceted nature of the butterfly, an insect that incorporated the ideology of this rich cultural area. Through the lens of several Mesoamerican specialists, this session will throw new light onto its context-related associations, identify processes of information transmittal and emulation, and thus elucidate its implications in each cultural milieu.