The god Huehueteotl
Mexico, central plateau
Aztec. 13th – 16th century
Volcanic stone
Ferdinand de Saussure bequest in 1913; collected by his father, Henri, in 1855
MEG Inv. ETHAM 006557
Notice
Of all Aztec deities, the god of fire and the heat of the earth, (old man, old god), is probably the most ancient. The ancestor of the pantheon, his great age is shown by his wrinkled face, two remaining teeth and bent back. He is shown sitting cross legged, with his hands on his knees, as the guarantor of the world's stability.
© 2015 Musée d'ethnographie, Genève
Ville de Genève, Département de la culture et du sport