Coatlicue statue

For the goddess, see Cōātlīcue. For the star, see Coatlicue (star).

Coatlicue
The Coatlicue Statue on display in the National Museum of Anthropology
MaterialAndesite
Height2.52 m
Created1439 or 1491 (disputed)[1]
Discovered13 August 1790
Plaza del Zócalo, Mexico City
Present locationNational Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
CultureAztec

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.[1] Although there are many debates about what or who the statue represents, it is usually identified as the Aztec deity Coatlicue ("Snakes-Her-Skirt").[2] It is currently located in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Originally displayed in the Mexica city of Tenochtitlan, the monumental statue was buried after the 1521 Spanish conquest of the city, and it was excavated roughly 270 years later in 1790.[3]

The statue was possibly completed in 1439 or 1491, although these dates are contested. Like many Aztec statues, it is carved in the round. Notably, it is also carved on its base with an image of the deity Tlaltecuhtli ("earth-lord"), despite the fact that the base would always be hidden from view. Similar statues and statuary fragments were discovered in the 20th century, leading scholars to debate the meaning of these works and their significance within the culture and ceremonies of the Aztec Empire.[1]

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