Chicomecoatl is the most commonly depicted aspect of the Aztec corn gods, representing mature, ripened corn and sustenance.Chicomecoatl, which literally means "Seven Serpent" in Nahuatl, has been represented across ancient American cultures in statues, pendants, murals, codices and the like, appearing in public, private, and even burial sites. Her image is associated with a mature, red-faced woman usually wearing an amacalli headdress adorned with rosettes and twisted rope as in this Mexica sculpture. Versions of this headdress made from paper would be worn by goddess impersonators during harvest festivals dedicated to her.The figure carries corn cobs in either hand framing an open cavity at the heart’s center. This cavity would be filled with a precious stone, activating the sculpture as a literal vessel for the goddess and her power.

Made from rough volcanic stone, this statue is simply sculpted, with a deliberately placed rectangular cavity in its chest. The Aztec people, or the Mexica as they called themselves, would insert a jade stone in this space in a religious ritual. Jade was symbolic of water, plants, and fertility more generally. The Aztecs believed that when the precious stone was placed, the sculpture became the literal home of the goddess it portrayed. For the Aztecs of Mexico, gods and goddesses took human form, but were distinguished from regular mortals by special clothing, headdresses, and jewelry -- finery imbued with sacredness. When a human put on the costume of a specific deity, or when a statue was carved with those ornaments ...