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Seated Male Carrying Maize
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This figure probably represents an Aztec deity-either Macuilxochitl or Xochipilli-whose domain was beauty, the arts, and such pleasures as gameplaying, dancing, and sex. Both names include the Aztec word for "flower," and in one hand the figure holds a cone of flowers, perhaps the blossoming crown of a cactus. For the Aztecs, flowers signified beauty, refinement, and fertility in general and sexuality in particular. The burden of maize cobs on his back also may allude to his creative energies.
| Artist / Maker | Central Mexico, Aztec style, 13th-16th century |
|---|---|
| Date | 1325–1521 |
| Culture / Origin | Central Mexico, Aztec style, 13th-16th century |
| Medium | stone, pigment |
| Dimensions | Overall: 31.1 x 24.1 x 30.5 cm (12 1/4 x 9 1/2 x 12 in.) |
| Department | Art of the Americas |
| Type | Sculpture |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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