Mexico, Aztec
1325 to 1521 CE
Volcanic stone
Height 9 3/4" (24.8 cm); width 6" (15.2 cm)
Provenance: Collected in Mexico in the 1950s by Keith Bell, Professor Emeritus of Geology, University of Ottawa; acquired prior to the 1972 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property; old museum accession number on underside
Cihuateotl, meaning "divine woman" in Nahuatl, was one of a group of deities in the Aztec pantheon representing women who died in childbirth and were elevated to warrior status in the afterlife. Figures of this type were produced throughout the Late Postclassic period and associated with temples and ritual deposits across the Valley of Mexico. The frontally oriented composition and formal posture reflect canonical conventions of Aztec stone carving.
The figure is carved from dense volcanic stone, widely used in the Valley of Mexico for its durability and availability, the surface detail rendered with restrained geometric precision consistent with the period. Facial features and body contours are worked with the controlled economy characteristic of Aztec portable sculpture, prioritizing formal clarity over naturalistic modeling. An old museum accession number on the underside indicates prior institutional handling.
The provenance traces the figure to Keith Bell, Professor Emeritus of Geology at the University of Ottawa, who collected it in Mexico in the 1950s, placing its acquisition well before the 1972 UNESCO Convention. Objects with pre-Convention provenance of this specificity occupy a well documented position within the legal framework governing the sale of Pre-Columbian material. The combination of early collection history, institutional accession marking, and geological expertise of the original collector gives this figure a clear and traceable record of ownership.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Mexico, Aztec
1325 to 1521 CE
Volcanic stone
Height 9 3/4" (24.8 cm); width 6" (15.2 cm)
Provenance: Collected in Mexico in the 1950s by Keith Bell, Professor Emeritus of Geology, University of Ottawa; acquired prior to the 1972 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property; old museum accession number on underside
Cihuateotl, meaning "divine woman" in Nahuatl, was one of a group of deities in the Aztec pantheon representing women who died in childbirth and were elevated to warrior status in the afterlife. Figures of this type were produced throughout the Late Postclassic period and associated with temples and ritual deposits across the Valley of Mexico. The frontally oriented composition and formal posture reflect canonical conventions of Aztec stone carving.
The figure is carved from dense volcanic stone, widely used in the Valley of Mexico for its durability and availability, the surface detail rendered with restrained geometric precision consistent with the period. Facial features and body contours are worked with the controlled economy characteristic of Aztec portable sculpture, prioritizing formal clarity over naturalistic modeling. An old museum accession number on the underside indicates prior institutional handling.
The provenance traces the figure to Keith Bell, Professor Emeritus of Geology at the University of Ottawa, who collected it in Mexico in the 1950s, placing its acquisition well before the 1972 UNESCO Convention. Objects with pre-Convention provenance of this specificity occupy a well documented position within the legal framework governing the sale of Pre-Columbian material. The combination of early collection history, institutional accession marking, and geological expertise of the original collector gives this figure a clear and traceable record of ownership.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
