Author Description

The temporary exhibition "Aromatic smoke for the gods: an offering of burners at the foot of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan" held at lobby of the Museum of the Templo Mayor, was an example of the interdisciplinary work on conservation of Pre-Columbian cultural heritage done in the INAH. The exhibition is derived from the discovery of 36 "tlémaitls" or ceramic burners with handle used by the Mexicas to waft aromatic fumes from the days of Moctezuma I (1440-1469) found scattered in hundreds of fragments and restored to their original form after being buried for centuries below the buildings that were erected during the colonial era in that same part of the historic centre of Mexico City. Students of the seminar workshop "Seminario Taller de Restauración de Cerámica" of the ENCRyM with persistence and care faced the collection of ceramic pieces in an integral manner, observing and studying all their characteristics: material, workmanship and deterioration while working hand in hand with specialists: restorers, archaeologists, historians, geologists, biologists and artists to reconstruct each piece.