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Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Aztec Calendar Stone Sculpture
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

Aztec Calendar Stone Sculpture

Artifact IDMO 1943.119.2
Object Type Sculpture
Maker
Gifter
Dateca. 1942
MediumMetal (silver), Stone (marble)
Dimensionsoverall H 19 5/8 in x W 23 5/8 in x D 7 in (49.8 cm x 60 cm x 17.8 cm )
Physical DescriptionA silver reproduction of the round, 16th century Aztec Calendar Stone, or Sun Stone. It is mounted on a rectangular black marble base and flanked by two silver eagles. Attached to the front of the base is a silver plaque with an engraved inscription that reads: "PIEDRA DEL SOL" / AL / PRESIDENTE ROOSEVELT / DEL / PRESIDENTE AVILA CAMACHO / MEXICO SEPTIEMBRE-1942.
Historical NoteMexican President Manuel Ávila Camacho presented Franklin Roosevelt with this silver reproduction of the Aztec Calendar Stone (also known as the Sun Stone) on October 15, 1942. The original stone, housed in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, is a massive stone object devoted to the sun god, Tonatiuh. In a letter acknowledging the gift, FDR noted, “It is a fitting symbol of the power and strength of the Mexican people throughout the centuries.”
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteDeposited at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum by Franklin D. Roosevelt on November 6, 1942. It was donated as a bequest of FDR to the Library in 1947.
Credit LineEstate of Franklin D. Roosevelt
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesGift Items and Commemorative Artifacts (National Archives Identifier 782690)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedCopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Exhibitions
Not on view
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