The Codex Fejérváry-Mayer: History

Before the Spanish invasion, Mesoamerica was known as the land of codices or books. From Mexico to Nicaragua, this type of folded book on deerskin or paper with its characteristic way of writing and its own calendar, was well known.

This codex is one of the most precious and remarkable artefacts to have survived from the time before Hernán Cortés destroyed the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, in 1521. It was called after a Hungarian collector (Fejérváry) and a Liverpudlian benefactor (Mayer).

You can decorate your desktop with a wallpaper design from the codex, or choose another design inspired by the collections in our special online feature.

In this section

• The next page in this section is : A window onto another world
• Ancient Mesoamerica

Back to the top