Mexico (Mexico City)

Statue of the Aztec Death Goddess (Mictecacihuatl / Mictlantecuhtli)

2387

Created during the Postclassic Period of Mesoamerican history, specifically within the Late Aztec (Mexica) Phase (approx. AD 1325–1521, commonly dated around the 15th to early 16th century).

This object is a three-dimensional anthropomorphic basalt sculpture, heavily carved in high and low relief. It represents a skeletal deity (frequently identified as Mictecacihuatl, the Queen of Mictlan, or her consort Mictlantecuhtli, the God of the Dead). The sculpture is meticulously chiseled and polished from volcanic basalt, portraying a rigid, block-like figure featuring a skeletal grinning human skull for a face, bared teeth, hollow eye sockets, and a cylindrical headdress.