Priest follower of Tlaloc, god of fertility

Dateca. 1400 - 1521

Label TextThe priest held a highly esteemed position because of his auspicious role as communicator between humans and gods, and because he oversaw the sacrificial offerings presented to the gods. An image of Tlaloc—god of water, earth and fertility—appears on the water jug under the priest's left arm. The priest wears a sleeveless jacket, and a headdress decorated with jade insets and a paper fan, symbols of water and fertility deities.

Object number52.150

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Art of the Ancient Americas, July 10, 1999 - May 11, 2003. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Feasting with the Gods: Art and Ceremony in Ancient Mesoamerica and the Central Andes, Dec. 11, 2003 - July 19, 2004. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Cosmic Beings in Mesoamerican and Andean Art, Nov. 10, 2018 - ongoing.Published ReferencesMiller, Mary. "Art of Oceania, Mesoamerica, and the Andes." In Selected Works, pp. 59-64. Seattle: Seattle Art Museum, 1991; p. 63, reproduced (as Priest with Tlaloc Effigy).

Credit LineEugene Fuller Memorial Collection

Dimensions18 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 7 in. (46.99 x 24.13 x 17.78 cm)

MediumStone