Relief with Maize Goddess (Chicomecóatl)
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Object Label
The importance of maize (corn) and chocolate, two of the many plants native to the Americas, is exemplified by these Aztec sculptures.
The relief panel of the maize goddess Chicomecóatl may have been set into an altar. Chicomecóatl controlled the positive and negative powers of growth and famine. Her elaborate headdress is topped by two ears of corn. In her right hand, she holds a snake-shaped rattle staff, used to penetrate and fertilize the soil.
The man carrying a cacao pod may represent one of the merchants who brought cacao beans from the tropical coastal lowlands to the Valley of Mexico. Chocolate, made from the beans of the cacao pod, was a popular drink in Aztec society.
Caption
Aztec. Relief with Maize Goddess (Chicomecóatl), 1440–1521. Stone, 15 1/2 x 11 3/4 x 3 3/8 in. (39.4 x 29.8 x 8.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, A. Augustus Healy Fund, 51.109. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 51.109.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Relief with Maize Goddess (Chicomecóatl)
Date
1440–1521
Geography
Place found: Mexico
Medium
Stone
Classification
Dimensions
15 1/2 x 11 3/4 x 3 3/8 in. (39.4 x 29.8 x 8.6 cm)
Credit Line
A. Augustus Healy Fund
Accession Number
51.109
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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