Huaxtec figure of old man and boy

Figure of an old man and boy, Huaxtec, 900-1450 CE, limestone, height 34 cms., British Museum.

The wrinkled features and stooping posture of this old man suggest that he represents the aged Huaxtec thunder god ‘Mam’. He appears to be engaged in the act of presenting a young boy, perhaps prior to his induction into a peer group. Other versions of the old man show him holding a serpent staff or dibble stick used to penetrate the earth so that it can receive new seed. Similar sculptures are still used today as the focus of ceremonial life in remote rural villages. At planting time they are bedecked with greenery and flowers and people entreat them to ensure the fertility of their fields and a bountiful harvest.

Quote from Ancient Mexico in the British Museum by Colin McEwan, British Museum Press 1994, p.36.

Photo by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore.