The elongated or dolichocephalic skull corresponds to a canid; it could be the head of a coyote or wolf. However, as far as is known, the dog is the only animal of that species embodied in the art of the shaft tomb culture. The detached head suggests decapitation and reminds us that, according to testimony from the sixteenth century, dogs were used in Mesoamerica in rituals and celebrations in which they were sacrificed and then consumed as food. Some archaeo-zoological studies of ancient dog skeletons this type of treatment.
The sculptural image infers a recipient, since it is hollow and has a quadrangular opening at the top that could function as a mouth; it is noteworthy that the back of the head is flat, perhaps so that it can also be placed in a vertical position. The elaborate form and remarkable technical quality evoke the ingestion of drinks in a definite ritual situation, although, beyond those mentioned formal elements, the piece does not exhibit traces of practical use as a container.
For Mesoamericans, the dog held multiple values, from the immediate as regular and affectionate human company, to others that lie deep in the realm of the sacred. In this sense, there was a deity with the dog's appearance, and as dogs sacrificed or artistic images that represent them, they continued accompanying their deceased owners into their graves, where they guided and helped them cross the underground rivers of the underworld.
This small masterpiece shows fine modeling; the lack of the lower canines or flattened look could be due to a loss. The monochrome surface is weighed in line with the canons of the Comala style, but with realistic aspirations: the nose, palate and tongue were painted black, while the eyes, details of the nose and mouth used sgraffito so that they stand out on a red or black surface. The wide muzzle and the appearance of a full set of teeth that includes canines or fangs and premolars indicate that a dog with hair is figured, either of the most common identified race in Mesoamerica, which was of medium size, or a race of smaller stature, also with elongated torso and hair called Tlalchichi in Nahuatl.
The elongated or dolichocephalic skull corresponds to a canid; it could be the head of a coyote or wolf. However, as far as is known, the dog is the only animal of that species embodied in the art of the shaft tomb culture. The detached head suggests decapitation and reminds us that, according to testimony from the sixteenth century, dogs were used in Mesoamerica in rituals and celebrations in which they were sacrificed and then consumed as food. Some archaeo-zoological studies of ancient dog skeletons this type of treatment.
