Ear Ornament or Spindle Whorl with Modeled Design Possibly 1450 - 1521

This unassuming clay object, crafted by the Aztec, served as either an ear ornament or a spindle whorl. Look closely at the incised motifs. These stylized scrolls might seem purely decorative, but they echo a pattern of symbolic representation deeply rooted in human culture. Consider the serpent, a creature whose cyclical shedding of skin has, across millennia, been associated with rebirth and renewal. The serpent motif appears in ancient Egyptian art as the ouroboros and even finds its way into Christian iconography. Such symbols recur, morphing across continents and eras. The serpent has been a symbol associated with healing and medicine. This is an example of the Nachleben – the afterlife – of an image. These patterns point to our collective memory, a subconscious echo chamber where primal symbols retain their power, engaging us on a profound level, stirring something deep within our shared human experience.