Heart-Shaped Sculpture Possibly 100 - 1000

This heart-shaped sculpture was created by an artist from Veracruz during the Classic period. Its cultural context is rooted in Mesoamerican traditions where the heart held significant symbolic importance, linked to ideas of sacrifice, vitality, and the cyclical nature of life. The sculpture’s heart shape may reflect religious beliefs. We also see that the object has been deliberately shaped with a hole at the top. Was it used as a receptacle for offerings? Was this a ritual object? Perhaps further archaeological study and institutional research into similar pieces might tell us more about its purpose. By studying the social history and cultural context of this sculpture, we can gain insights into the beliefs and practices of the Veracruz people and how they understood the world around them.