I. Lienzo de Tlaxcala, 16th cent.

The Lienzo de Tlaxcala (often called the Texas fragment) is an incomplete copy of an original document created in about 1544 or 1545 as a claim to Spain that Tlaxcalans should be exempt from taxes due to the aid they gave Hernando Cortés in conquering the Mexica. The original was painted on a large sheet of cotton cloth and sent to Spain (where it accomplished its purpose). In 1892 it was lent to lithographers to create a reproduction and was never seen again.

The four scenes of the Lienzo de Tlaxcala tell the story of Cortés' arrival and his reception by the Tlaxcalans. Cortés meets with Xicotencatl in the Tecpan at Tlaxcala, and is presented with a number of gifts. The exact date and origin of the document are unknown.