Teixiptla

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A teixiptla is a deity embodiment used within Aztec ritual practice. Either a person or sculpture, teixiptlas were fashioned to represent deities and in some cases represent deceased ancestors who were venerated as deities. It was an Aztec belief that through ritual costuming among other processes, the teixiptla assumes the life force/universal power (called teotl) of a deity and becomes their embodiment. These ritual costumes included the flayed skin of sacrificial victims and/or deity regalia which included headdresses and clothing among other accouterments. Teixiptlas were often the ritual centerpiece of Aztec festivals and were present throughout Aztec life in urban centers, countryside, etc.

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