New Insights into the Aubin Tonalámatl Codex

The Aubin Tonalámatl Codex, utilized by Mesoamericans for religious purposes such as naming individuals and conducting ceremonies, exhibits no European influence and is speculated to have originated in the Basin of Mexico, according to María Isabel Álvarez Icaza Longoria, a researcher at the Institute of Aesthetic Research (IIE) at UNAM. These recent revelations regarding the provenance and historical context of the codex hold significance, as previous assumptions placed its creation during the colonial period, likely originating from Tlaxcala.

“Most scholars have considered this pictographic manuscript to be from the colonial era, and we have questioned it. Sometimes we have prejudices that if it does not have such a refined technique it is colonial and if its technique is very neat, then it is pre-Hispanic.

“In reality, there have always been artists or tlacuiloques - as the painters of codices, convents and other pictorial expressions are known in Nahuatl - who were more or less skilled or eloquent. There is really no indication of European influence in this manuscript,” said the UNAM expert in an interview.

These are some of the conclusions she and her colleague Saeko Yanagisawa arrived at in their research project titled “Aubin's Tonalámatl: novel investigations on a divinatory codex,” aimed at delving into the inception and temporality of the codex. This project forms part of the Support Program for Research and Technological Innovation Projects (PAPIIT IN403023) at this esteemed university.

The scholars are integral members of a multidisciplinary and interinstitutional endeavor spearheaded by researcher Guilhem Olivier from the Institute of Historical Research, alongside Baltasar Brito, the director of the National Library of Anthropology and History. It was under Brito's invitation that the experts from UNAM, together with Yanagisawa, were tasked with examining a specific aspect of this enigmatic codex. Distinguished scientists, historians, art historians, archaeologists, and artists specializing in the analysis of significant pictographic manuscripts are actively engaged in this collaborative initiative.

“Dr. Yanagisawa and I delved into the origins of the manuscript, scrutinizing its provenance with meticulous care. While purportedly hailing from Tlaxcala, my extensive examination of documents from the Puebla-Tlaxcala Valley leads me to doubt its regional attribution,” articulated the esteemed doctor in Art History.

The notion of its Tlaxcalan roots stems from the scholarly work of Carmen Aguilera and other researchers who have scrutinized the Catalogue of the Museo Indiano by Lorenzo Boturini, wherein this codex is characterized as an idolatrous calendar.

Book of Destinies

The specialist from IIE elucidated that numerous Mesoamerican codices have relinquished their original designations and now bear the names of collectors or previous owners, such as Aubin's Tonalámatl, which was acquired for two thousand francs by Joseph Alexis Aubin.

This manuscript is a compendium of fates, encompassing the religious ceremonial calendar known in Nahuatl as Tonalpohualli – a fusion of 13 numerical symbols with the 20 days of the Mesoamerican calendar – of such significance that individuals were christened based on it.

“Similar to the Catholic religion’s calendar of saints, the ancient Nahuas, and the broader ancient Mesoamericans, were denoted by names based on the day of their birth. They could be referred to as One Dog, One Deer, Two Cane, depending on the interplay of the numerals from 1 to 13 and the 20 signs of the calendar.”

The expert in Mesoamerican codices narrated that upon a child’s birth, the parents would approach the priest, who not only bestowed a name upon the newborn but also divulged whether their fate inclined towards auspicious, unfavorable, or neutral outcomes in certain endeavors, vices, or virtues. This predilection, however, was not definitive, as it could be influenced by the individual’s actions.

Boturini and his collection of codices

Álvarez Icaza Longoria recounted that towards the conclusion of the 18th century, Lorenzo Boturini compiled a significant assortment of codices in New Spain. His venture led him to oversee the financial matters of a descendant of Moctezuma residing in Spain, who had designated him as her legal representative.

He was captivated by the myriad documents and creations originating from ancient Mexico and the colonial epoch, as well as the enigmatic apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe. By delving into affairs deemed unsuitable by the Spanish Crown and particularly by the Church, this remarkable collection was confiscated, and a judicial inventory was conducted.

“An interpreter noted that within that inventory, there were 'some diminutive pieces of parchment' where Boturini records that the 'Cartography' is linked to the ceremonial festivities of the Tlaxcalans. Nonetheless, those diminutive pieces of parchment vanished, along with the proof of its origin,” elucidated the scholar.

The individual specialized in stylistic analyses of pictorial manuscripts such as the Codex Laud, Fejérváry-Mayer, Borgia, and Cospi, further added: drawing from these precedents and juxtapositions with polychromatic ceramics of authenticated lineage and fresco art, he postulates that Aubin's Tonalámatl codex could potentially hail from the Basin of Mexico.

“We cannot definitively ascertain its pre-Hispanic origins, lacking conclusive evidence, yet its distinctiveness from European manuscripts is apparent.
This codex exhibits a certain level of imprecision in its lines, which some describe as lackadaisical.

Consequently, there was a presumption that it signifies the erosion of the indigenous artistic tradition. Some scholars even propose a daring hypothesis suggesting its creation in haste during the 17th century for the purpose of sale to Boturini.”

The scholar emphasized that this manuscript bears closer resemblance to the artifacts crafted by the Mexicas rather than those of Tlaxcala, suggesting it may have originated from another locale, workshop, or educational institution within the Basin of Mexico. It is highly probable that the manuscript is of pre-Hispanic origin; however, if not, it likely dates back to the initial period following the Spanish conquest, as it impeccably preserves the entire indigenous pictorial tradition in both its materials and stylistic elements.

Thefts and diplomatic conflict

It was appropriated in a dubious manner by an unconventional artist-traveler named Frederick Waldeck, and subsequently acquired by the Frenchman Joseph Alexis Aubin, who arrived in our nation at the onset of the 19th century and somehow managed - the exact means remain shrouded in mystery, with speculations of dubious legitimacy - to secure the majority of Boturini's collection.

These artifacts had been seized by the authorities of New Spain and later came into the possession of Antonio de León y Gama. "Numerous scholars suggest that Aubin covertly segregated the codices, concealing them within his luggage to circumvent customs in Veracruz en route to France."

To this day, the National Library of France houses around 100 manuscripts originating from Mexico, all of which are part of Aubin's collection. Among these valuable pieces was Aubin's Tonalámatl Codex, unfortunately stolen in 1982 by the lawyer José Luis Castañeda del Valle, who had clear intentions of repatriating it to our nation.

"When the librarians discovered the empty case, it sparked a major scandal. Even Interpol was called in to investigate. Despite his arrest upon returning the manuscript to Mexico, the lawyer was hailed almost as a hero," recounted the university student.

“It is believed that a thief who steals from another thief is pardoned for a century, and a similar scenario unfolded when the French and Mexican governments reached an agreement for this codex to be retained in our nation for 99 years. Currently, it is safeguarded in the vault of the National Library of Anthropology and History,” she elaborated.

Furthermore, Álvarez Icaza Longoria highlighted a regulation mandating that any cultural artifact brought into Mexico must remain within the country. This directive is essential in light of the ongoing looting of our cultural heritage from the 19th century to the modern era. It is disheartening that in France, auctions persist for illegally acquired archaeological relics, perpetuating the adverse impacts of the illicit market on our heritage.