Unknown Maker (Aztec, Central Valley, Mexico)

The Aztec goddess of maize, Chicomecoatl, is presented alongside European works of the same historical period to foster dialogue about the range of artistic production during the 14th - 16th centuries across the globe. Artists use various visual material and iconographical means to identify, serve, and celebrate religious figures. Here, the Nahuatl speaking people of central Mexico incorporate visual signifiers of Chicomecoatl; she wears a quadrangular headdress adorned with rosettes and holds rattles that suggest fertility. Similarly, Renaissance artists use symbols often drawn from an event in a saint’s life as well as specific colors and gestures to depict Jesus, Mary, and other Christians figures.

Lowe Art Museum

Museum purchase, 56.003.000