It would be an understatement to say that the carving of the Aztec Calendar was painstaking work. However, the sculptor made no complaint. He crinkled his brow, wiped the sweat from his eyes and continued to chip away at the solidified lava stone.
Most of humankind has needed a means of orienting the self within time. Throughout history, there have arisen many different such systems of orientation. These systems have proved invaluable to human civilizations spanning the globe. It seems they fill a need that is universal.
In the case of our sculptor buddy, the calendar he was working on was especially important for a couple of reasons. One reason was that, given the scale and intricacy of the calendar, it would doubtless be a great contribution to his culture and their view of the world. The stone was 12 feet in diameter and would feature not only a seasonal calendar but also a calendar following the movements of the Aztec deities. The sculptor was sure it would truly be a work of art. That, however, was not the central reason why the calendar was so important to the sculptor. Rather, the sculptor was concerned with the likelihood that he would be sacrificed to the gods if he messed it up.
Luckily, the brave little sculptor prevailed! Oddly enough, he managed to create a calendar whose beauty is truly timeless. Of all of history’s calendars it is nearly unmatched in its glory and mystery, and remains as one of the most important and widely talked about remnants of the Aztec Empire.
We at Print Shoppe say well done, sculptor sir. Print Shoppe may not carve 12-foot calendars out of solidified lava stone but we understand the importance of both utility and aesthetic value when it comes to putting together a darn good calendar.
