What: A seated figure made of aragonite from the Classic period (200-750) in Teotihuacan culture in Mexico
Where to find it: Raymond and Laura\nWielgus Collection at the IU Art Museum
Why you should care: The austerity and hardness of this figure seem to reflect the self-sacrifice, organization and rigidity that were characteristic of the metropolis of Teotihuacan. Both the figure's size -- 10 and a half inches tall -- and material are unusual, as most Teotihuacan full figures are either much larger or smaller, and the soft, alabaster-like stone from which it was carved was generally used for masks or containers, not figures. Though it is not known how this figure was used, in Teotihuacan iconography, upturned hands generally refer to the divine hand from which gifts and abundance flow. This was a favored pose for the depiction of both deities and members of the Teotihuacan elite.\nSource: IU Art Museum
