Aztec bust
- Gallery: Room 27
- Culture: Aztec
- Made in: Mexico
- Date: 1325-1521
- Object type: bust, figure
- Materials: stone
- Museum number: Am1825,1210.11
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is a stone bust of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god of wind and moisture, often called the Feathered Serpent. This figure captures the deity’s head and part of his body, framed by the coiled form of a serpent covered in stylised feathers. You can see delicate shell ear ornaments adorning his face and a solar disc-like necklace that surrounds his head. The head of the snake rises from the right shoulder, creating a sense of movement and transformation.
Carved from deep green stone, this bust reflects the importance of moisture in Aztec culture. The shimmering green of the quetzal bird’s feathers was considered sacred, symbolizing life and renewal. Quetzalcoatl was not only a divine being but also a culture hero—believed to have brought humanity into being from the bones of a previous world. This sculpture dates to between 1325 and 1521, during the height of the Aztec civilization in what is now Mexico.
See it in person
Aztec bust is on display in Room 27 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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