Female molded figure c. 501 - 900

This molded figure of a woman was made by the Maya, but we don't have the exact date. Given its size, it could have been a household idol, displayed on a domestic altar. The care and detail used to render her jewelry and headdress suggests that the woman had a high social status. Who was she? Was she meant to represent a human ruler or a goddess figure, such as Ixchel, associated with midwifery and medicine? These are the questions that art historians can answer. They might look at other works of art from the Maya civilization, checking for iconographic consistency and comparing materials and production methods. It reminds us that art is never created or viewed in isolation but always within a social, cultural, and institutional context.