Mixquiahuala Receipt 1: A 16th Century Otomi Pictorial Manuscript

Abstract

Mixquiahuala Receipt 1 is part of a group of six pictorial manuscripts painted during the second half of the 16th century in an Otomi town in central Mexico. Dated to 1568 on internal evidence, it is probably the earliest of the set. A novel format was created by a native official to represent the days, weeks, and months of the European calendar. On this graphic scaffolding, the goods and services provided by the indigenous town council to the Spanish governor were recorded using the native system of visual communication. In this study, the nature of central Mexican graphic communication, and its use by the Otomi, is briefly discussed. A history of the six receipts is provided for context, including their origin, dispersal, and treatment in previously published studies. Material, formal, cultural, and linguistic aspects of the receipts are discussed. The remainder of this study focuses specifically on Receipt 1, providing a detailed interpretation of the manuscript’s contents: the representation of time and the goods and services recorded on its surface. The article closes with a brief reflection on the value of this manuscript for understanding indigenous history, and how native graphic communication was creatively restructured as a tool for economic interaction between native and Spanish authorities.