The monumental statue of Coatlicue, carved from andesite and standing 2.52 meters (8.3 feet) tall, is one of the most iconic masterpieces of Aztec sculpture. Created in the 15th century CE, it represents the fearsome earth goddess whose name means “She of the Serpent Skirt.”

According to Aztec mythology, Coatlicue gave birth to the moon, the stars, and most importantly the sun and war god Huitzilopochtli, the patron deity of the Mexica people.

The statue depicts the goddess in a terrifying yet awe-inspiring form: she wears a skirt of writhing snakes and a necklace of human hearts, hands, and a skull, symbolizing sacrifice and regeneration. Her hands and feet are tipped with claws to devour the dead, while two serpent heads rise from her neck, meeting face to face to form a single visage.

This imagery conveys the Aztec belief in the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, emphasizing the goddess’s role as both creator and destroyer. The sculpture was discovered in Mexico City in 1790 and is now preserved in the National Museum of Anthropology, where it continues to be revered as one of the most powerful surviving expressions of Aztec religion and cosmology.