Lienzo Seler Coixtlahuaca II

Lienzo Seler II (also known as Coixtlahuaca II) is a 16th-century indigenous pictorial manuscript from the northern part of the Mixteca Alta region of Oaxaca, Mexico. Painted on a large sheet of woven cotton measuring approximately 383 × 442 cm, the lienzo represents one of the most complex colonial-period pictorial documents from the region of Coixtlahuaca and one of the most significant indigenous cartographic-historical sources from Mesoamerica.

The lienzo is a "transitional document", as it features depictions mainly in the pre-Columbian style, supplemented by inscriptions in the indigenous languages Mixtec, Chocho, and Nahuatl in Latin script. The document blends Mixtec and Chocholtec pictographic traditions with post-conquest elements and records genealogical, territorial, and ceremonial narratives. The document covers a broad historical scope. Early sequences relate to mythical or pre-Hispanic events, possibly extending back to the 12th century. Other scenes include intercommunity conflict, dynastic marriages, and ritual offerings. The latest identifiable dates refer to events around 1556, yet stylistic and material evidence—including pigment composition, drawing technique, as well as the depiction of European churches and priests—confirms that updates and annotations continued later.

The lienzo was brought to Berlin by Eduard Seler in 1897. In her 1900 publication Auf alten Wegen in Mexiko und Guatemala, Seler-Sachs vaguely mentions: “Due to a fortunate coincidence we were able to acquire such a painted linen cloth measuring 4 m in the square, which comes from the village of Coaixtlahuaca.” It is currently held by the Ethnologisches Museum . Since 2022 it is exhibited at the Humboldt Forum Berlin.