Hospitality

As a royal ambassador, Xochimazatl traveled to the coastal city of the Huastecs. The local king and lords welcomed him with lavish gifts, feasts, lodgings, and even courtesans, as is customary. Having visited this city multiple times, Xochimazatl is a well-known figure here. Especially to the palace ladies and courtesans, he quickly gained notoriety for his remarkable "skills" and "assets" that they loved so much!

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The Huastec [Téenek] are an indigenous people of Mexico, living in the states of Hidalgo, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas along the route of the Pánuco River and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

In this drawing, Xochimazatl is sent to one of the Huastec tributary city-states. Among the exotic regions, he especially loves the coastal lands of Totonacapan [land of the Totonacs] and Cuextlan [land of the Huastecs]. By the reign of Ahuitzotl (re. 1486~1502), whom Xochimazatl serves, most Huastec cities below the Panuco River have become tributary states of the Mexica Empire. Hence, Xochimazatl is sent to these friendly, allied cities to bolster their relationship with the Mexica.

The courtesan having sex with Xochimazatl is primarily based on the Huastec figurine (K6667) and “El Adolescente de Tamuín." Both depict intricate geometric tattoos on the body. Lots of the motifs—stylized corncob, plumed serpant—are related to agriculture and fertility. She is wearing a pillbox-shaped hat, which is similar to the hats used in the neighboring civilization of Classic Veracruz culture. The ladies in the background are based on various Huastec sculptures and a Huastec noblewoman from Codex Ríos.

The decorative murals are based on the murals from Tamohí (San Luis Potosi) and tattoos from the statue “El adolescente de Tamuín”. The small altar on the wall is intended as a domestic shrine with small-sized deity statues. Statues are loosely based on the stone statue of Tlazolteotl (British Museum), the stone statue of a masterbating man (Museo Regional Potosino), and the huge phallus statue of Yahualica (MNA). The Huastecs were famous for their fertility rituals, especially the phallic cult.

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Sources

• “El adolescente de Tamuín”, Museo Nacional de Antropología
• Codex Ixtlilxochitl
• Codex Mendoza
• Codex Ríos
• Huastec figurine of a woman (K667), private collection
• Huastec figurine of a woman, Panuco (Veracruz), Museo Nacional de Antropología
• Huastec figurine of a woman, San Luis Potosi, Museo Nacional de Antropología
• Huastec Life-Death Figure, Brookyln Museum
• Ian Heath, 『The Armies of the Aztec and Inca Empires, other native people of the Americas, and the Conquistadores』, 1999
• Los Huastecos, 『Arqueologia Mexicana』, 2006
• Murals from the main altar of Tamohí
• Phallus of Yahualica, Museo Nacional de Antropología
• Stone statue of a Masterbating Man, Museo Regional Potosino
• Stone statue of Tlazolteotl, British Museum