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Dancing dogs,
200 BCE–200 CE
Shaft-tomb Ceramics of West Mexico
The cultures of western Mexico, in the present-day states of Jalisco, Nayarit, and Colima, shared a tradition of burying the deceased in deep shaft tombs located under homes. These tombs often accommodated generations of family members: when someone died, the bones of their ancestors were moved aside to create room for the new ancestor. A great variety of ceramic objects were produced in distinctive local styles to accompany the dead. Human figures might represent loved ones or key moments in the history of the interred; animal representations might have been perceived as providing sustenance in the afterlife, or they may have been seen as eternal companions.
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Didactics
Ceramic figurines found in shaft tombs in the west Mexican states of Jalisco, Nayarit, and Colima commonly depict humans or animals, but in distinct regional styles. Representations of dogs, such as this charmingly expressive dancing pair, were especially popular in Colima. The proportions, dark color, and incised lines indicating folds of skin leave no doubt that these canines are Mexican hairless dogs (Xoloitzquintle in Nahautl). Often represented with pot bellies, the dogs were raised for food but also presumably as companions. In Colima ceramics, the dogs often appear in pairs or with two heads, revealing their symbolic relation to notions of duality. Throughout Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, hairless dogs also bore strong associations with the Underworld. Such figurines were likely included in west Mexican burials to symbolically guide and accompany the deceased on the journey into the Underworld, and possibly to provide symbolic nourishment in the afterlife.
Information
200 BCE–200 CE
North America, Mexico, Colima, West Mexico
