This gorgeous jaguar by master Oaxacan woodcarving artist Luis Pablo is a pure celebration of joy and spontaneity, and it is absolutely wonderful!
Luis Pablo has carved this jaguar completely on its back, legs in the air, tail curling lazily to one side, in a pose of total, shameless relaxation. For an animal revered throughout Mesoamerican civilization as the embodiment of power, strength, and the night sky, this jaguar has clearly decided to take the afternoon off. The carving is superb, with beautifully fluid lines that capture the boneless ease of a big cat at rest.
The painting is bold and graphic in Luis Pablo's most confident contemporary manner. The body is painted in deep red, covered in teal circles of varying sizes, some solid, some outlined as rings, creating a lively rhythmic pattern across every surface. The belly and inner legs are a clean golden yellow, the paws and tail tip black, and the tail itself is striped in bold red and teal bands. The face is charming and expressive: blue-bordered eyes, yellow irises, a white-dotted muzzle with a pink nose, and yellow ears edged in black dashes.
In Aztec and Maya tradition, the jaguar was Tezcatlipoca, lord of the night sky and the underworld, one of the most powerful deities in the pantheon. Luis Pablo's version seems blissfully unconcerned with all of that. Legs in the air, tail swishing, you can almost see the invisible ball rolling just out of reach. A truly joyful and spectacular piece!
