Teotihuacan is one of the Pre-Columbian settlements that had a long occupation. Its history can be traced from 200 B.C., when it was a small village, until 650 A.D. when the city collapsed. The research of this city is characterized by lights and shadows, by the detailed knowledge of some aspects and by the great gaps we have in other cases.
One thing we know for sure is the importance of the jaguar in this society, which was related to the land, water and springs. Its value was such that the pyramid of the sun was covered by the heads and claws of jaguars, and it could be seen painted on the housing complexes of the city.
In addition, its representation was also modeled in clay, as is the case of figurine 108 from the Amparo Museum collection. This depicts a man lying face down, but the neck is twisted to look up. The representation shows the simplicity of Teotihuacan art. The torso is represented flat and elongated and, at the height of the waist, it has a wide band simulating its maxtlatl (loincloth). From there, two cylindrical shapes project backward and upward, bending 90º, and upon reaching the distal end, they flatten to represent the foot, although there is no further detail of the toes or other elements. The arms maintain the same simplicity with only a tubular shape that thickens in the center and decreases in size at the end, flattening to simulate the hand and twisting inward to represent the fist. In addition, a thick strip of pastillage was placed on the wrist to simulate a bracelet, while at the chest level there is a perforation.
A cylindrical shape emerges from the torso that represents the neck, where a head made in a mold was placed. The head has a line at the bottom that extends to the sides to represent the mouth. A vertical line emerges from the center that creates the animal's lips and achieves a simple representation of the nose. From there the head sinks down. Two eyes are marked with an incised line, which have the shape of a half circle with elongated ends. Above and to the sides, there are two large ears that project upwards. They have a triangular shape with rounded edges and a concavity inside. In the upper part of the head, between the ears, vertical lines are etched that reach a band with five chalchihuites beads (circles with another circle in the center) from where bands that simulated feathers emanated and created a colorful headdress.
The figurine is worked with a rough appearance, and it lacks the foot and the right arm, as well as the upper part of the headdress. In addition, it has a fracture at the junction of the head and neck.
The figure represents a man with the head of a jaguar. It is possible that a priest is being represented who transforms into the feline or who is invoking it. This can be corroborated, in addition to the mask that gives the man another identity, by the contortion he exhibits as he raises his feet and throws his head back, almost touching both parts. Communication with the jaguar must have been one of the main ritual practices in Teotihuacan between 250 and 450 A.D. This was the moment when the city had its maximum splendor and it was when the jaguars invaded the works of art.
Teotihuacan is one of the Pre-Columbian settlements that had a long occupation. Its history can be traced from 200 B.C., when it was a small village, until 650 A.D. when the city collapsed. The research of this city is characterized by lights and shadows, by the detailed knowledge of some aspects and by the great gaps we have in other cases.
