Moctezuma

It's always interesting what exhibit in a show captures the attention. It's not necessarily the most famous or the most flashy. There's much to excite the imagination at the British Museum: the sculptures of figures have a pleasing simplicity combined with an attention to detail; carvings on stone are impressively vivid (with helpful diagrams to assist the identification of important elements); ceramics have flowing shapes and colourful decoration; and the various turquoise-encrusted objects show remarkable workmanship. But the item I was drawn to repeatedly was a 5 ft high wooden drum, covered with beautiful carvings of Eagle and Jaguar warriors. Even from a cursory glance, the skill is obvious, and it's hard to believe it's 500 years old. As with many of the objects, it's associated with the rituals of the Aztecs and the exhibition does a good job of contextualizing. Several pieces bear Moctezuma's name glyph and the various year glyphs are also highlighted. There's not much ghoulishness, apart from the mask made from a skull covered with turquoise and lignite. The culture is undeniably alien to our eyes (sacrificial rites, feathered serpents) but it exerts a powerful fascination.