Children of the Plumed Serpent: The Legacy of Quetzalcoatl in Ancient Mexico April 1, 2012

The exhibition Children of the Plumed Serpent: the Legacy of Quetzalcoatl in Ancient Mexico follows the historical trajectory of the life and epic stories of the culture-hero and deity, Quetzalcoatl. The exhibition examines the art and material objects of late pre-Columbian and early colonial societies across Mexico to explore Quetzalcoatl’s role as founder and benefactor of the Nahua-, Mixtec-, and Zapotec-dominated kingdoms of southern Mexico. These socially and culturally complex communities successfully resisted both Aztec and Spanish subjugation, flourishing during an era of unprecedented international entrepreneurship and cultural innovation. On view are painted manuscripts (codices), polychrome ceramics, textiles, and exquisite works of gold, turquoise, and shell that reflect the achievements of the peoples that became, and remain today, the Children of the Plumed Serpent.