What was the purpose of the coatlicue statue?
This might also explain why—in place of her head—we have two snakes rising from her severed neck. They represent streaming blood, which was a precious liquid connoting fertility. With her willing sacrifice, Coatlicue enabled life to continue. Some details on the sculpture support this newer and enticing interpretation.
Did the Aztecs have statues?
Literally thousands of Aztec sculptures, ranging from intimately scaled, personal works to public monuments standing up to ten feet tall, were carved fully in the round or in relief. Many still exist despite massive destruction by the Spaniards, who considered them to be heathen idols.
What is one of the most famous Aztec sculptures?
The Coatlicue sculpture in Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology is one of the most famous Mexica (Aztec) sculptures in existence (her name is pronounced “koh-at-lee-kway”). Standing over ten feet tall, the statue towers over onlookers as she leans toward them.
What is the largest Aztec sculpture?
The Coatlicue statue is one of the most famous surviving Aztec sculptures. It is a 2.52 metre (8.3 ft) tall andesite statue by an unidentified Mexica artist….Coatlicue statue.
| Coatlicue | |
|---|---|
| Discovered | 13 August 1790 Plaza del Zócalo, Mexico City |
| Present location | National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City |
| Culture | Aztec |
Why did the Aztecs worship Coatlicue?
Represented as an old woman, she symbolised the antiquity of earth worship and she presents one of the most fearsome figures in Aztec art. Coatlicue was also the patron of childbirth, was associated with warfare, governance and agriculture, and considered the female aspect of the primordial god Ometeotl.
Who killed Coatlicue?
While Coatlicue had many children, the two most illustrious were Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war, and his sister Coyolxauhqui, who famously tried to murder Coatlicue. Her other 400 children, the Centzonhuitznahua, were the gods of the southern stars.
What is Aztec temple?
The teocalli, or pyramid-temples, were significant to Aztec religious practices. They were the sites of religious celebrations and rituals. The temples represented ascension.
What artifacts did the Aztecs use?
And every ounce of their power, pride, and fearsomeness bursts through in their artifacts.
- Sacrificial Knife.
- Xiuhtecuhtli, God Of Fire, Turquoise Mosaic Mask.
- Golden Serpent Lip Piercing From The Early 13th Century.
- Mictlantecuhtli, God Of Death, Vase.
- Jaguar Cuauhxicalli, Used In Ceremonies To Hold Human Hearts.
What did Aztecs call the Earth?
Tlaltecuhtli
| Tlaltecuhtli | |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Earth |
| Gender | Female |
| Region | Mesoamerica |
| Ethnic group | Aztec |