Jade Bust of Quetzalcoatl

In Nahuatl, Quetzalcoatl means 'quetzal-feather (quetzalli) snake (coatl)', hence the term 'feathered serpent' for this best known of all Mesoamerican creator gods. Here the profile of the god-hero emreges from the jaws of a serpent atop a swirling mass of feathered coils. The plumed serpent was seen as a metaphor for wind-borne rain. The iridescent green feathers of the quetzal bird were widely used in costume and iconography.