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Seated Figure Wearing a Skin
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This type of image-showing a human clothed in a sacrificial victim’s skin, visible around the mouth and wrists-is one of the most awesome created by Mesoamerican artists. The figure represents the deity Xipe Totec or a human impersonator. Among the later Aztecs, Xipe was associated with fertility, rain, and renewal. Perhaps the wearer, upon shedding the skin, was conceived as a sprout emerging from a withered husk. Xipe also had military connections.
| Artist / Maker | Mexico, Gulf Coast |
|---|---|
| Date | 600–1000 |
| Culture / Origin | Mexico, Gulf Coast |
| Medium | earthenware, slip |
| Dimensions | Overall: 43.3 x 29.2 x 28.7 cm (17 1/16 x 11 1/2 x 11 5/16 in.) |
| Department | Art of the Americas |
| Type | Sculpture |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
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