Panzaleo Terracotta Vessel in the Form of a Jaguar, 1000 CE - 1500 CE
Terracotta
3.125 x 5.25
PF.1233
Further images
The unusual creature on this vessel is perhaps a jaguar, an animal worshipped as a god thoughtout ancient America. His features, however, appear more human than feline. His toothy smile...
The unusual creature on this vessel is perhaps a jaguar, an animal worshipped as a god thoughtout ancient America. His features, however, appear more human than feline. His toothy smile seems friendly rather than ferocious, his plump body, meant to contain an offering of food, is not that of a lean and hungry predator. He looks up at us almost hopefully, as if asking to be petted. In the face of such comic charm, we are powerless to resist.