Plate with Floral Design, after 1519

Plate with Floral Design, after 1519

photo © Museum Associates / LACMA

Audio Guide

This ceramic plate is an early example of the blending of visual traditions by Indigenous artists after the Spanish invasion. While the style of its floral design suggests European influence, many of the plate’s aesthetic qualities evoke the Mesoamerican cosmic order. Nine stylized water lilies mark the eightfold division of the cosmos and its sacred center; the four in profile face the cardinal directions.