Maize Goddess (Chicomecoatl)

Depicted in this stone statue is Chicomecoatl (Seven Serpent), the Mexica goddess of dried or already harvested corn. She holds two ears of corn in each hand and wears a multi-tier crown (amacalli) that would have been made of paper and is decorated with rope and rosettes. As was common in many parts of Mesoamerica, corn deities were worshipped for the sustenance they offered and as symbols of fertility. The festival Huey Tozoztli was held during the dry season in honor of Chicomecoatl, during which women dressed as the deity would bless corn seeds to be used in the upcoming planting season.