The most accomplished sculptors in the Aztec empire carved impressive images of the gods, often of large size, for display in temples and public spaces in Tenochtitlan's Sacred Precinct. The sculptures served to communicate the concepts of Aztec religion and were part of complex rituals; even historic monuments were elevated to the realm of the divine and ceremony by the addition of religious symbols. The subjects portrayed were many, but images of gods and goddesses were by far the most numerous. Sculptors followed basic conventions for portraying deity figures: customarily shown in frontal view and strictly symmetrical, females are frequently kneeling, their hands resting on their knees, while male figures are often sitting with their knees drawn up and their arms crossed upon them. Ageless faces—inlaid eyes and half-open mouths lend them a lifelike look—lack