Pre-Columbian, Central Mexico, Aztec, ca. 1325 to 1475 CE. A large and fantastical carving made from basalt stone in the form of Xiuhcoatl, a mythical fire serpent. The sinuous body has a tapered tail that may have an attached like a tenon to a building as an architectural element. The elaborate head has parted lips, large fangs, and a curling tongue, supraorbital ridges, and curling plumes to the sides of the head. This creature as Xiuhcoatl, a mighty fire serpent associated with the sun god, Huitzilopochtli. The serpent’s wavy body, sharp fangs and tongue represent fiery bolts of lightening coursing from the sky, and the Aztec also believed that Xiuhcoatl carried the sun across the sky each day. Size: 19.5" L x 2.25" W x 7" H (49.5 cm x 5.7 cm x 17.8 cm); 12.75" H (32.4 cm) on included custom stand.

In Aztec - and other Mesoamerican - iconography, the serpent is associated with fertility and water. The Nahuatl word for serpent is "coatl," and mythological serpents like Xiuhcoatl and Quetzalcoatl were believed to have the power to bridge between the different words of Aztec cosmology - the underworld, the sky, and the world of earth and water. As with many cultures around the world, snakes fascinated the Aztecs and their venom, legless bodies, and other reptilian traits lead them to conclude that snakes must have magical properties. This architectural element would have been a magnificent addition to a building in a public space in the Aztec world.

Provenance: ex-Marc Amiguet Schmitt estate, Amiguet's Ancient Art, Evansville, Indiana, USA, acquired prior to January 1, 2010

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#173424

Professionally repaired with tail reattached and faint break line. Natural surface pitting and some minor softening to details, but snake's face is clear and discernable. Light mineral deposits within recessed areas.