This vessel, with its bold sculptural and painted features, might depict a transformed shaman in his animal form—an aggressive, roaring jaguar, the bloodthirsty king of the tropics. Powerful legs, lunging head, and toothed mouth elicit fear and awe. Its neck, haunches, and legs are patterned with mini-jaguars and jaguar spots, subtle distillations of the essence of the animal. Rattles in the legs cause a sound suggestive of the growling of the great cat.
Ceramic
11 1/2 in. (29.21 cm)
Diam.: 5 1/4 in.
Girth: 23 1/2 in.
Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection
54.15
Photo: Elizabeth Mann
Now on view at the
Seattle Art Museum
Resources
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Cosmic Beings in Mesoamerican and Andean Art, Nov. 10, 2018 - ongoing.
Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.
