Soledad Cruz: Jaguars Encounter WoodcarvingExtraordinary jaguar encounter by Oaxacan woodcarving artist Soledad Cruz, one of the finest painters in the tradition. Soledad worked with her husband Neri, who carved the two jaguars, while she painted them with the precision and depth that has made their collaboration so admired among serious collectors. The jaguar held supreme power in the Mesoamerican world. For the Zapotecs and Aztecs alike, it was the lord of the underworld, a symbol of royal

The whole scene shimmers with mythic feeling

Origin: Puebla

is particularly venerated in Pátzcuaro

ready to light the way for those returning

small metal charms in the shapes of stars

Barro Negro has been produced in Oaxaca for centuries

The bright coloring is superb

each one individually painted with fine herringbone lines — a patient

from the elegantly arched tail to the pink-highlighted snout

The hammerhead itself is a powerful

They mark this Xolo not as a household pet but as a creature of myth

a fiesta of color that reflects the warmth and exuberance of Oaxacan culture at its finest