Seated couple

Seated couple, Mexica (Aztec), stone, 38 x 45 cms., National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

Aztec figure sculpture does not always fit into a category - the majority of human figures are youthful or ageless... Recent finds of Aztec sculpture include a number of highly unusual and aberrant pieces. One of these is a couple, each half human and half simian [ape-like], who are embracing each other while seated on a bench. Their lively comradeship is unique in Aztec sculpture, noted so far for its gravity.

From Aztec Art by Esther Pasztory, New York, 1983, p. 231

Photo by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore.