Maize Deity (Chicomecoatl)
Unknown Artist
15th–early 16th century
Medium
Basalt
Dimensions
H. 19 1/2 × W. 8 1/2 × D. 5 1/2 in. (49.5 × 21.6 × 14 cm)
Classification
Stone-Sculpture
Culture
Aztec
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Museum Purchase, 1900
Accession Number
00.5.28
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Maize Deity (Chicomecoatl)*, a striking basalt sculpture from Aztec culture, crafted between the 15th and 16th centuries. at 19 1/2 inches tall, this compact yet powerful figure captures Chicomecoatl, the goddess of maize and sustenance in Mesoamerican cosmology. Carved from dense volcanic basalt—a material prized by Aztec sculptors for its durability and fine grain—this piece exemplifies the technical mastery of pre-Columbian stonework, where artisans meticulously shaped hard stone using stone and wooden tools to evoke divine presence. Chicomecoatl's importance cannot be overstat...