Aztec (Mexica)
Possibly central Veracruz, Mexico
Ritual Impersonator of the Deity Xipe Totec
INV-1274
Aztec (Mexica)
Possibly central Veracruz, Mexico1450–1500
Ritual Impersonator of the Deity Xipe Totec
Aztec (Mexica) Possibly central Veracruz, Mexico →aztecmesoamericanPre-Columbianamericassculptureart of the americas
Date
1450–1500
Medium
Ceramic and pigment
Dimensions
H.: 58.4 cm (23 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel A. Marx
As a god of the late dry season and early rainy season (May–June), Xipe Totec (“The Flayed One”) expresses regeneration. By the time of Spanish contact in 1519, the cult of this deity was widespread throughout Mesoamerica. This figure depicts a young male wearing the skin of a sacrificed victim, a primary symbolic aspect of rituals conducted during agricultural fertility ceremonies dedicated to this deity. The lines across the chest represent stitched seams where the skin was fastened. Like living seed within a dried husk, the deity impersonator embodies the relationship between death and the renewal of life.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
