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This massive monolith of the earth deity Coatlicue ("she of the serpent skirt") wears, aside from her diagnostic skirt of serpents, a necklace made of human hearts and hands. Her head has been substituted by two snakes that symbolize two jets of blood and, by extension, sacrifice. It is an unsurpassable example of the power of Mexica sculpture.
Sculpture of the deity Coatlicue Mexica (Aztec) Late Post-Classic (1325-1521 A.D.) Mexico City Sandstone 3.50 x 1.30 m. National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico. Photo © Jorge Pérez de Lara |
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