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Serpent Labret with Articulated Tongue

The serpent labret with articulated tongue is an Aztec gold-alloy body ornament dating to 1300–1521, when the Aztecs flourished. Made to be worn in a piercing below the lower lip, it shows a fanged serpent poised to strike, with a bifurcated tongue that could move and retract. The ornament was cast in a gold, copper, and silver alloy using the lost-wax method. Labrets were associated with nobility and elite status, and the serpent may represent Xiuhcoatl, the fire serpent linked to the sun god Huītzilōpōchtli. Known by 1937, it was later acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2016.

Serpent labret with articulated tongue shown from above on a black background.
Serpent Labret with Articulated Tongue, shown from above against a plain black background.
April 2016 © Anna-Marie Kellen for the Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC0
Serpent labret with articulated tongue shown in profile, with a toothed reptile head on a black background.
Serpent Labret with Articulated Tongue, seen in profile with its open mouth and sharp teeth.
April 2016 © Anna-Marie Kellen for the Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public domain
Serpent Labret with Articulated Tongue showing a metallic serpent head with almond-shaped eyes, open mouth, and detailed ridges.
Serpent Labret with Articulated Tongue, shown in close-up with its open mouth and finely worked surface details.
April 2016 © Anna-Marie Kellen for the Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC0
Serpent Labret with Articulated Tongue showing a polished golden serpent snout, teeth, and fangs.
Close-up of the Serpent Labret with Articulated Tongue, highlighting the polished golden snout and sharp fangs.
April 2016 © Anna-Marie Kellen for the Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public domain
Serpent Labret with Articulated Tongue, showing a metallic ornament with beaded and filigree decoration on a stand.
Serpent Labret with Articulated Tongue, a metallic ornament with beaded detailing and a curved articulated section.
April 2016 © Anna-Marie Kellen for the Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public domain

Identification

TitleSerpent labret with articulated tongue
Original-language titleLe labret serpent à langue articulée
Typelabret (lip plug)

Historical context

CultureAztec
Datemid-2nd millennium CE, between 1300 and 1520
PeriodAztec period

Creator

Possible makersAztec or Mixtec makers

Materials

Materialgold alloy containing approximately 59.3 to 64.3% gold, 26.8 to 33.1% copper, and 7.5 to 8.8% silver

Technique

Surface treatmenttongue filed and polished after casting; wavy lines and comma-shaped marks are present on the surface
Casting sequencecast in three pieces: the tongue first, then the head and neck, and finally the flanged base
Casting detailshead and neck were modeled in wax; the tongue was inserted into the core before casting; a thin charcoal paste lined the mold; three support holes show where wood or thorns may have held the core; the tongue appears to have shifted during the second casting and displaced wax from the top of the maxillary arch
Manufacturing techniquelost-wax casting

Physical characteristics

ConstructionHollow
Weight51 grams
Dimensions6.6 cm high, 4.45 cm wide, 6.6 cm deep

Appearance

Depicted subjectserpent poised to strike
Head featuresarched brow and snout, pointed teeth, two fangs, rounded nostrils, and eyes set under a prominent brow
Tonguearticulated, cast separately, and able to retract, extend, and swing from side to side with the wearer's movement
Body detailsscales shown beneath the lower jaw
Headdressfeathered and beaded headdress represented in false filigree, with a circle of ten spheres, three loops, and a small central recess that may once have held an inlay
Mountingattached to a cylindrical plug with a wide plain flange and a decoration of small spheres and spirals

Function

Body placementworn in a piercing below the lower lip

Iconography and meaning

Interpretationpossibly represents Xiuhcoatl, the fire serpent associated with the sun god Huītzilōpōchtli
Social significanceassociated with nobility, elite status, and power; gold was linked to divinity in Aztec belief and eloquence was a hallmark of nobility
Symbolic meaningprobably symbolised the wearer's status and eloquence, and possibly divine right to rule
Broader motif contextserpents were a longstanding Mesoamerican motif, especially associated with rulers because they were believed to transcend earth, water, and sky

Location and ownership

Current locationNew York
Funding for purchase2015 Benefit Fund and the Lila Acheson Wallace Gift
Current ownerMetropolitan Museum of Art
Acquisition date2016
Accession number2016.64

Discovery and provenance

Ownership period1981 to 2004
Ownership period2016
Ownerprivate New York collection
Ownership period2004 to 2016
Early provenancehistory before 1937 is unknown
OwnerHerbert L. Lucas
OwnerJudith Small Nash and Peter G. Wray
Ownership period1978 to 1981
OwnerJay C. Leff
Salesold at Sotheby's, New York, on 22 November 1978 for US$101,000
Ownership period1949 to 1978
Loan locationAmerican Museum of Natural History
OwnerHeath McClung Steele
Ownership periodby 1937 to 1949

History and restoration

Scholarly assessmentdescribed as an ingenious example of Aztec metalworking, a tour de force of Aztec art, and among the finest surviving Aztec gold objects
Curator commentAccording to Joanne Pillsbury, the labret opens a window into Aztec culture at the very highest level and would have been terrifying to behold on ritual occasions and the battlefield
Wear frequencyprobably worn only on particularly important occasions because of its size and weight
Alternative interpretationmay have been intended as a funerary or votive offering