The Huastec civilization separated from the Mayans as early as 2200 BCE, eventually settling in states along the Gulf of Mexico. Their works were influenced by Mayan culture and the region they occupied, resulting in shell works and effigy statues such as this Life-Death Figure. Carved in the round, life is personified through the Aztec wind god Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl who carries death, a skeletal form, on his back. Traditionally ancestral bones wrapped in cloth were carried by religious figures or rulers. Beneath the skeletal figure of this statue is a fallen strip of patterned cloth, exposing its heart. The sandstone surface of the sculpture, which was once painted, is incised with geometric, patterned designs. Notably included in the designs are corncobs. The dual aspect of Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl controls winds associated with rains especially crucial to the cultivation of corn and evocative of his status as a creator deity in Aztec cultures.“Huastec People,” Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias, accessed March 27, 2022, https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/72075.

Large free-standing figure of a man on a thin rectangular base. Half circle headdress with incised decoration; conical hat fitting down into a broad headband. Face carefully modeled with decoration running from each eye across cheek. Ear plugs have strap-like pendants that hang down over shoulders. Recessed eyes and deep depressions of the ear spools probably held inlays. Below neck is breast ornament. Broad skirt hangs down to knees with incised textile designs. Densely patterned designs covering the upper arms, hands, abdomen and legs include ears of corn and feline heads and most likely represent tattooing. Elbows bent. Right hand on breast with fingers curling around empty socket, in which a banner or staff may have been inserted. The left ...