Xochipilli

"XOCHIPILLI'S NAME COMES FROM THE NAHUATL WORDS "XOCHITL" FOR FLOWER, AND "PILLI" FOR PRINCE. THEREFORE, HE IS THE PRINCE OF FLOWERS. HE IS THE GOD OF ART, SONG, DANCE, BEAUTY, SUMMERTIME, AND FLOWERS. ON THIS SCULPTURE LOCATED IN MEXICO CITY'S MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY, THERE ARE DEPICTIONS OF VARIOUS SACRED PLANTS WHICH DECORATE THE FIGURE'S BODY AND THE BASE UPON WHICH HE SITS. THE SCULPTURE FEATURES MUSHROOMS, MORNING GLORY FLOWER, AND TOBACCO, AMONG A FEW OTHER PLANTS USED IN SPIRITUAL CEREMONY. WITHIN THIS CONTEXT, ONE CAN VIEW XOCHIPILLI'S FLOWERS AS A METAPHOR FOR THE SOUL. XOCHIPILLI SERVES AS A REMINDER TO STRIVE FOR A SOUL IN BLOOM, WARM AND BRIGHT WITH CREATIVE ENERGY."
 
Artist: Jimmy Saldivar