Object Record
Images
Metadata
Artist |
Aztec Culture |
Title |
Maize Goddess Chicomecoatl |
Date |
1400-1520 |
Medium |
volcanic stone |
Place of Origin |
Mexico |
Culture |
Aztec Culture |
Catalog Number |
2021.30.1 |
Collection |
Art of Ancient Americas |
Object Name |
Sculpture |
Credit line |
Gift of I. Michael and Beth Kasser |
Didactic Information |
In the Aztec art tradition, images of the sacred were created in many different media - including in sculptures carved from volcanic stone, like this one. This sculpture represents the Aztec goddess Chicomecoatl (pronounced chee-co-may-CO-aht-el), who was identified with maize and agricultural fertility. In her right hand, Chicomecoatl holds a pair of ears of maize, incised to represent the corn's kernels. She also wears an elaborate trapezoidal headdress crowned with rosettes; the form of the headdress suggests that it is modeled after the façade of a temple. The connection between the goddess's headdresses and architecture is further solidified by its name in the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs, where the headdress is called amacalli (ah-ma-CAH-lee), or 'paper house.' While there are many known examples of Chicomecoatl sculptures, one of the features that makes this particular example special is the large number of necklaces worn by the goddess, which perhaps represent strings of jade beads, as well as the pectoral disk. The wealth signified by these beads underscores the importance of the deity, who was particularly important given the central role of maize as a staple in Mesoamerican foodways. Provenance: Sold on behalf of Saidye Rosner Bronfman Foundation, 1996 Consigned Sotheby's, May 14, 1996 Ex. Coll. I. Michael and Beth Kasser, 1996 Exhib. University of Arizona Museum of Art, 2008 Pub. Stuhr, Ritual Beauty (University of Arizona Museum of Art): Fig. 59, 2008 |