Olmeca Jaguar with Human

Angel Cerón finds inspiration in the art and beliefs of the Olmeca people to replicate the sculpture of a jaguar holding a man standing on his head. 'The original sculpture is from the middle pre-classic period of 1200-400 B.C. and was found in San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, Veracruz,' explains the master ceramist. 'The ancient Olmeca believed they were descendants of the union between a jaguar and a woman. The actual myth seems to have been lost in time, though many of their celebrations and artistry make reference to the jaguar, especially portraying people with feline facial characteristics including fangs. There used to be a considerable jaguar population in the same region where the Olmeca culture developed, so they regarded the feline as having some connection with their origin. They also believed it to represent both the world of th living, and the underworld,' continues Cerón, who crafts the sculpture with yellow clay from the state of Oaxaca creating low and high relief accents and gives it an antiqued finish.