Jalisco Vessel in the Form of a Dog - PF.1988,Origin: Western Mexico,Circa: 300 BC to 300 AD,Dimensions: 8.25" (21.0cm) high x 5.25" (13.3cm) wide,Catalogue: V7,Collection: Pre-Columbian,Style: Jalisco,Medium: Terracotta. Dogs appear quite prominently in the funerary art of Ancient Mexico. In that society, they served the functions of pets and guardians that they still do today, but on occasion they were also eaten as food. It was believed that dogs led the dead into the underworld, and this might also account for their appearance in tombs. This plump creature certainly suggests an association with eating. Very possibly, his rounded body once held a tasty stew for the pleasure of the deceased. Now empty, he nonetheless continues to give pleasure of a more companionable sort to those alert to his canine charms.

Antiquities
Ancient Central America & Mexico