Idols of Mexico

From Ancient Mexico come these images, some from a book published in 1887, now in the public domain. They are clay, and may have been set up in temples. The Emperor Monctezuma is said to have collected these and other dolls. There is a story that when Cortez came to christianize him, and showed him Santos, The Emperor told him to put his idols up on the shelf and they would be revered, true multiculutral insight on the part of Monctezuma. Some of these idols were also broken at volcanic sites, and later tourists found them there much as they find the shards of porcelain dolls in the old German doll factories today. Enjoy.