Other interpretations

The Xochipilli sculpture is unique in the way it represents this deity within the corpus of other known artistic depictions and historical references.

Xochipilli was highly venerated above all in the southern Basin of Mexico as the god of fertility of plants and flowers. Therefore, the Chalco origin of the sculpture could explain the exaltation of flowers and their myth of origin as a product of the union between the sun god and the earth goddess, opposing and complementary realms, essential for the generation of life.

In other representations of Xochipilli what tends to be emphasized are the deity’s other attributes, in all their complexity and multiple semantic meanings, which was the case of all Mexica gods.

For a greater understanding of this deity and to appreciate the uniqueness of this piece, it is enlightening to examine and contrast it with other complex images of Xochipilli.