Obsidian’s sacred origin and eccentric physical characteristics made obsidian as a transcendental medium that connected cosmic and earthly worlds for the Aztecs. Also, the Aztec priests applied ashes and herbs in order to make their skins black and represent themselves as a communicator with divine forces. Therefore, among the many other colors of obsidian, the black obsidians were commonly applied on the sculptures of gods and mirror to accentuate divinity. In addition, black color and iridescence are further evidences of obsidian’s volcanic origin and physical transformation of tonalli. In the Mesoamerican culture, mountains, especially volcanoes, were considered holy places where not only ancestors and spirits dwelt, but also where fountains of condensed energy emerged from the interior of the earth (Saunders 221, Heyden 220). Obsidian’s sacred nature originated from its natural black color and iridescence. Obsidian was at the heart of Aztec civilization and functioned as: a visual metaphor of the Aztec’s religion, a medium that stimulated the Aztec’s economy, and as an efficient tool in Aztec culture. In addition to its distinctive physical characteristics, obsidian was an essential material in Aztec society. Although there are a few red or brown varieties, it is often found as black. Obsidian is created when lava cools down rapidly before the minerals crystallize. The medium of this wondrous head is obsidian, a volcanic glass that mystifyingly reflects light above its dark matter.

Description of Tezcatlipoca, the 'smoking mirror'

Obsidian scalpel studies