Figure Carrying Corn

With its conical headdress, this sculpture may depict the Aztec deity known as Ehecatl, the Wind God, one of the most important manifestations of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent. He carries a sack of corn, or maize. Since there were no draft animals to carry cargo in ancient Mesoamerica, humans carried every product, from necessities like maize to exotic feathers and luxury ceramics. The Aztecs developed a system of traders and merchants known as the pochteca to manage the movement of porters and goods across the landscape. Showing a deity like Ehecatl Quetzalcoatl in the midst of an everyday activity imbued the chore with divine importance. It may also relate to a story of Quetzalcoatl taking corn from the inside of a mountain and bringing it to his fellow deities, and eventually humans.