Spider Monkey with Wind God Regalia
Unknown Artist
13th–16th century
Medium
Stone
Dimensions
H. 15 9/16 × W. 9 1/2 × D. 10 in. (39.5 × 24.1 × 25.4 cm)
Classification
Stone-Sculpture
Culture
Aztec
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Brian and Florence Mahony, in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary, 2017
Accession Number
2017.393
Art Historical Context
This striking stone sculpture, *Spider Monkey with Wind Godalia*, hails from Aztec culture during the 13th–16th centuries, a time when the Aztec empire dominated central Mexico with its sophisticated artistry and cosmology. Carved from stone to dimensions of 15 9/16 × 9 1/2 × 10 inches, the figure depicts a spider monkey adorned in the ceremonial attire of a wind deity, blending animal vitality with divine symbolism. Such hybrid forms were common in Aztec iconography, where animals often embodied gods or served as sacred intermediaries. The medium of stone underscores the Aztecs' mastery of h...