small patch or circle on her cheek is also commented upon by Sahagun, who says, “a hole has she placed on her cheek”—the “hole” being probably a disk of rubber with a perforated centre. As an alternative to this we find in Codex Borgia two broad horizontal lines and in Codex Borbonicus several short, vertical black lines below the eye, and it would seem that the concentric circle on the shield of the goddess in the Sahagun MS. has the same meaning—that is, it is probably a symbol of sex.2 In some representations her skirt is covered with crescent-shaped objects perhaps typical of her symbol—excrement.
When Tlazolteotl appears as ruler of the thirteenth week she often lacks the ripe-maize colour with