Description: Late Post Classic Period, 14th-16th century AD. A ceramic head of the god Xipe Totec, 'Our Flayed Lord', representing the flayed skin of a sacrificial victim; headband to brow with rectangular panels to the side with roundels; youthful features, eyes closed, wide open mouth; rectangular shaped ears to side of head, accession number 9076 to reverse; mounted on a custom-made stand. 2.5 kg, 33cm total; head: 25cm (13"). Property of a distinguished American collector; formerly part of a famous Southern Californian museum collection; accession number 9076 to reverse; accompanied by a LACMA East museum inventory label stating that the item was from: 'container STGO2954, department AAA, TR.16988.32 Unknown Head fragment (200-500) Slip-painted ceramic, Head fragment lying down: 4 1/2 x 8 x 9 in. (11.43 x 20.32 x 22.86 cm) Overall (Diameter) (Base): 3 1/4 x 13 in. (8.26 x 33.02 cm) Art of the Ancient Americas'. Xipe Totec, whose name means 'Flayed One', or 'Our Flayed Lord' was a major god of Mesoamerican cultures. He was considered to be one of the creator gods and responsible for renewed growth in Spring brought about by rain. However, he was also associated with death and disease. Every spring in the third month of the solar year the festival of Tlacaxipehualiztli was held in honour of Xipe Totec and human sacrifices were made to appease the god and ensure a good harvest that year. The sacrificial victims, usually war captives, were then skinned in symbolic imitation of the regeneration of plants and seeds which shed their husks and thereby provide new seeds. The festival was preceded by an even stranger practice of an impersonator dressing as Xipe Totec for forty days before the big day, splendidly decked out in bright red spoonbill feathers and sparkling golden jewellery. Then, on the day of the festival at dawn, the impersonator was sacrificed and skinned. The skin was dyed yellow and called teocuitlaquemitl, or golden robes, and were either worn by the chief priest of the god who performed ritual dances in them, or worn by a young aristocratic male for twenty days, who then went around begging until the skin rotted away and the remains were then buried in the god’s temple. The significance of these impersonations and sacrifices was once again one of regeneration related to agriculture. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] Condition Report: Fine condition. Scarce.