3 female figurines with infants

3 female figurines holding infants, ceramic, Mexica (Aztec), c. 1350-1521 CE, height 14-16 cms., Royal Museum of Art and History, Brussels.

These figures ‘probably depict a fertility ritual’. The woman may be thanking the gods for the child by presenting it to them as part of a ritual. Her elaborate earrings identify her as a noble woman. They may, however, be rattle figurines used by midwives and healers to promote successful childbirth - follow the link below to learn more...

Text in red from Aztecs, eds. Doris Kurella, Martin Berger and Inés de Castro, with INAH, Mexico - catalogue for the exhibition Azteken, Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Hirmer Publishers, Germany, 2019, pp. 296-7.

Photo by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore.