Aztec. <em>Man Carrying a Cacao Pod</em>, 1440–1521. Volcanic stone, traces of red pigment, 14 1/4 x 7 x 7 1/2in. (36.2 x 17.8 x 19.1cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Collection Fund, 40.16. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 40.16_front_PS9.jpg)

Aztec. Man Carrying a Cacao Pod, 1440–1521. Volcanic stone, traces of red pigment, 14 1/4 x 7 x 7 1/2in. (36.2 x 17.8 x 19.1cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Collection Fund, 40.16. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 40.16_front_PS9.jpg)

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Was chocolate like money for the Aztecs?

Yes! For the Aztec cacao beans were prized trade items. Though they weren't as valuable as gold, textiles or axes, cacao was used for trade most certainly!

What was the red pigment made out of on the Man Carrying Cacao pod Aztec sculpture?

This pigment on this particular sculpture has not been scientifically analyzed so we aren't certain, but some of the reds that the Aztecs may have used include cinnabar, iron oxides, and cochineal.

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Can you tell me more about this?

In this sculpture, a man is shown carrying a cacao pod, the beans from which would have been used to create chocolate. Unlike a great deal of Aztec sculpture that has ritual connotations, this sculpture is believed to be purely secular. This is also a great example of naturalism in Aztec sculpture.

Man Carrying a Cacao Pod

Arts of the Americas

On View: American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, Radical Care

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This sculpture of a man carrying a cacao pod exemplifies Mexica stoneworkers’ skill in carving delicate and graceful figures out of coarse volcanic stone. Carved with a compact body and rounded limbs, the man wears the traditional male loincloth (maxtlatl) and headdress. Red pigment, likely derived from the mineral hematite, is visible around his mouth, ears, and central headdress ornament.

Native to the Americas, the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) thrives in the warm, tropical climates of Mexico and Central America. The ancient Mexica people roasted cacao beans, grinding them into powder before mixing with water and sometimes maize. The resulting drink was seasoned with vanilla, chilies, or other spices. The beverage was so prized that cacao beans were a highly valued long-distance trade item. In addition, the beans were used as tribute and currency in the Mexica Empire. This sculpture may represent one of the long-distance merchants (pochteca) who transported cacao pods from the Gulf Coast to markets throughout the empire.

CULTURE Aztec

MEDIUM Volcanic stone, traces of red pigment

Place Found: Amatlan, Mexico

DATES 1440–1521

DIMENSIONS 14 1/4 x 7 x 7 1/2in. (36.2 x 17.8 x 19.1cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Arts of the Americas

ACCESSION NUMBER 40.16

CREDIT LINE Museum Collection Fund

PROVENANCE Prior to 1940, provenance not yet documented; before 1940, acquired by Guillermo M. Echániz of Mexico City, Mexico; February 14, 1940, purchased from Guillermo M. Echániz by the Brooklyn Museum.

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CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Figure of a man carrying a cacao pod. Left hand holds stem attached to top of pod; right hand rests on middle of pod. Eyes and mouth are open. Traces of red pigment are visible around mouth, ear and central ornament on figure's headdress. Figure wearing traditional loincloth (maxtlatl). Condition: good; right arm is cracked and repaired; feet are broken off; small section of stone on finger near knuckle of right hand is missing; some surface chipping overall.

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, Radical Care

CAPTION Aztec. Man Carrying a Cacao Pod, 1440–1521. Volcanic stone, traces of red pigment, 14 1/4 x 7 x 7 1/2in. (36.2 x 17.8 x 19.1cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Collection Fund, 40.16. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 40.16_front_PS9.jpg)

IMAGE front, 40.16_front_PS9.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2013

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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