Absolutely spectacular tall Xolo Emperor Dog by top Oaxaca artist Luis Pablo. The Xoloitzcuintle, or Xolo, is the Mexican hairless dog. Its name comes from the Aztec god Xolotl, god of fire and lightning. Dogs were believed to be spiritual protectors of the human soul. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera owned several Xolo dogs. Frida included them in some of her paintings El Señor Xolotl, her dog is featured in the painting about death and divinity. The adorable Coco movie dog Dante is a Xolo dog.
This fantastic piece is impressively carved. The gorgeous gold headdress and earrings have delicate bas-relief Zapotec fretwork. The feathers, which are removable, are very nicely carved and painted. The body of this guardian dog has a wonderful design in black and gray contemporary bold lines that create the texture of the short hair fur. Luis Pablo added elegant pistachio-green fretwork details that contrast with the dark fur. A truly magnificent piece!
