Pre-Columbian, Jalisco, West Mexico, ca. 100 BCE to 250 CE. This is a pair of playful, conjoined dogs. Scholars know of at least two types of Jalisco dogs, one to be fattened up and ritually sacrificed or eaten and one to serve as a watchdog and healer of the ill. This plump hairless canine known as a Chichi or Escuintla is thought to be related to the Chihuahua or Mexican Hairless also known as the Xoloitzcuintle. The Xolo dog was named for the deity Xolotl, the God of the Underworld, and believed to guide the deceased as they journeyed to the afterlife. West coast vessels such as this one were buried in shaft tombs to protect the deceased and provide sustenance for eternity. Size: 8" L x 7" H (20.3 cm x 17.8 cm).
Provenance: Estate of Dr. Peter Arnovick, Los Altos, CA collected before 1970
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