Decoding the Codex Borgia

By Susan Milbrath,

Book cover of Decoding the Codex Borgia: Visual Symbols of Time and Space in Ancient Mexico

Book description

This book explores the rich symbolism of the Codex Borgia, a masterpiece of Pre-Columbian art dating to the fifteenth century, showing how the manuscript's intricate and colorful imagery conveys complex ideas related to Mesoamerican myths and religion.

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Why read it?

1 author picked Decoding the Codex Borgia as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I am an archaeologist who lived in Mexico for a couple of years long ago. This book reveals the wonderful content of a masterpiece created in native Mexican style and format before the Spanish Conquest of 1519-1521. It is a scholarly book, but not a dry or technical tome. It will transport you into the world of the pre-Hispanic culture of Tlaxcala, a place I know well, where old friends, the descendants of the people who created the Codex Borgia, still live. It's not for everybody, but it might be for you.

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