There are perhaps as many interpretations of the Olmec ‘were-jaguar’ motif as there are types of this remarkable image. One traditional, and widely-held, interpretation postulates that the Olmec thought their people originated from the copulation of a warrior-king and a female jaguar (Panthera onca). It seems that this suggestion largely originates in a cave mural from Oxtotitlán (Painting 1-D), which depicts an ithyphallic man standing nearby to a rearing jaguar; it is not immediately obvious that this is a scene of copulation, and even if it was, whether this is related to an origin myth or else some kind of fertility ritual. Others believe that the motif relates to the transformation of a shaman into a jaguar, with depictions representing various stages of this mutation. This has drawn criticism from scholars like Michael Coe, who argues that the centralised and hierarchical kingdom of the Olmecs was incompatible with the egalitarian nature of shamanic ritual. Instead, he proposes that the motif relates to the kingship itself: the jaguar, mentioned in later Aztec texts as being the King of the Animals, was a popular metaphor for the monarch’s power in later Mesoamerican civilisations. Aztec Emperors, for example, donned jaguar pelts and sat on a jaguar throne. Among the more unusual interpretations are medical. A cleft which often appears in the forehead of ‘were-jaguars’ is sometimes taken to be evidence of a neural tube defect, a genetic condition, which may have run in the Olmec royal families. It is argued that babies with the defect were presented to the Olmec people as evidence that jaguar blood ran in the family line. Carolyn Tate suggests that the ‘were-jaguar’ was not a representation of a human-animal hybrid at all, but rather a depiction of pre-term foetuses, based on a survey of imagery. And indeed, some scholars do not see jaguars at all, but rather the spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) as the origin of the unusual features.

Whatever the origin or significance of the figures, they are ubiquitous in Olmec art. Sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle, the same characteristics are found in each: snarling upturned lips, gaping open mouth (sometimes with fangs, sometimes toothless), round plump features, a flat nose, almond or teardrop-shaped eyes, and frequently, a V-shaped cleft in the forehead. In some representations, the cleft is shown producing vegetation, most commonly maize, in an apparent reference to a maize god (Jeralemon’s God II). The features of the ‘were-jaguar’ are found in most Olmec sculpture, to the point that it is difficult to tell where the motif ends and regular ‘portrait’ sculpture begins. The features appear on most of the Olmec’s artistic output, featuring in portable or monumental sculpture, on ceremonial celts and hachas (stone axe-heads), in cave paintings, wall reliefs, mosaics, and, especially, masks. The status of such objects was extremely high; in the case of the portable sculpture and ceremonial celts, the vast majority of examples which have come down to us were deliberately buried in votive deposits, often arranged in specific ways which suggest ritual meaning.

The image showcases an intriguing Olmec figure commonly referred to as a "Were-Jaguar" stargazer, a recurring motif in the art and iconography of ancient Mesoamerica. The sculpture is carved from a greenstone, likely jadeite or serpentine, materials highly prized by the Olmecs for their symbolic and material value. Standing upright with robust proportions, the figure displays a compact and muscular body, characteristic of Olmec representations of powerful beings. Its wide stance and blocky limbs convey strength, while the subtle curvature of its chest and abdomen suggests a degree of anatomical realism, softened by stylized abstraction. The face, arguably the most striking feature, exhibits the characteristic "were-jaguar" traits: a cleft forehead, downturned lips, and almond-shaped eyes, features that blend human and feline attributes. The figure’s head tilts slightly upward, reinforcing its designation as a "stargazer" and suggesting a posture of divine communication or celestial observation.

This remarkable figure likely holds significant symbolic weight. The "were-jaguar" motif is linked to shamanic transformation and concepts of rulership, where elites were believed to possess the spiritual power to transform into jaguars, channeling the ferocity and dominance of these apex predators. The greenstone medium itself enhances the spiritual resonance of the object, as such materials were associated with fertility, renewal, and the sacred. The abstraction of human and jaguar features into this hybrid form underscores the Olmecs’ sophisticated visual language, where natural and supernatural realms intertwine. Serving possibly as a ritual object, a representation of a deity, or an embodiment of elite power, this figure exemplifies the enigmatic and spiritually charged art of early Mesoamerica, where the boundaries between human, animal, and divine were fluid and deeply interconnected.