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Wheeled Jaguar Effigy, Veracruz, Mexico
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Wheeled Jaguar Effigy, c. 550-800 A.D.
Veracruz, Mexico
Ceramic and wood; 3 5/8 x 2 1/2 x 4 3/4 in.
94.43.1
Gift of Mrs. Sharon W. Ettinger
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At first glance, this wheeled jaguar could easily be considered a child’s toy. However, the significance of this type of figurine, found in the region of Veracruz in eastern Mexico during the Classic period, is yet to be determined. The figures were given wheels and axle holes instead of feet and they represent the use of the wheel in Pre-Columbian America.
Most ceramic effigies were made by hand but some heads and wheels were made out of molds. Traces of chapopote, a natural shiny asphalt used to decorate or cover figurines, remain on the figure’s face. The wheel axles are made of recently added wood, but it is likely that the original axles were also made of wood or another perishable material that did not survive along with the figure.
Effigies were no longer made by the time of the Spanish Conquest so their function is not clearly known. Although some scholars have categorized these objects as toys, others believe that their distribution over a variety of locations points to their use as ritualistic objects used ceremonially. In Veracruz, where this effigy is from, figurines have been found in groups that honored the building of mounds, or small hills, an unlikely location for a child’s toy. Some of these wheeled figures are considered too elaborate and well preserved to have functioned as toys. Most wheeled effigies represent animals that have strong links to the ancient Mesoamerican belief system, which hints at their underlying significance. The jaguar, for example, was honored and admired by Mesoamerican cultures and was treated with religious reverence.
Even though there is evidence that the wheel existed, Mesoamericans never adopted it as a means of transportation. The primary obstacle was the absence of beasts of burden as Mesoamericans had no oxen or horses (the largest domesticated animals were small dogs and turkeys). Another important reason why the wheel was not used for transportation is the topography of Mesoamerica. The rugged mountain terrain, tropical forests and swamps would have made it especially difficult to maneuver wheeled vehicles.
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