Statuette representing Tlaloc

This terracotta statuette represents the god of rain and of atmospheric phenomena, and originates in the culture of the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. This god had great importance, because fertility – and therefore agriculture and the foundation of the population's subsistence – depended on his favour. He was represented in numerous materials and media, in greenstone, in modelled clay, on wall paintings and even on ornaments, where he appears only in stylised form. This sculpture indicates the great skill of the potters who were able to produce small items with great detail.