One of the better known Pre-Columbian artistic
styles, “Colima” derives from Western coastal
Mexico, dating between 300 B.C. and 600 A.D.
The highly burnished surfaces of such early
Colima ceramic pieces are distinguished by their
color and characteristic spotted black patina. A
particularly cherished subject of representation is
the Colima dog, patterned after a hairless variety
of ancient dog known as the Techichi. Some
scholars have speculated that the Colima
believed dogs were emissaries of Xolotl, the god
of the dead. As such, dogs were envisioned as a
guide to lead the spirits of the dead to their
resting place in the underworld and such
representational objects might have been
interred with the deceased. Despite their
possible connection with the dead, the
representations of these dogs often take on a
playful and charming demeanor in this mode of
expression. Other scholars have noted that this
variety of dog was bred as a delicacy. Thus, their
frequent portrayal as exceedingly plump
accentuates the humorous nature of such
representations.
This delightfully whimsical example is in the
form of a short, squat dog, engaged in a playful
wrestling match with a lizard, perhaps an iguana.
The bodies of the two animals are formed
together by the artist, the iguana draped over
the back of the dog and facing the same
direction as its playmate, its head momentarily
caught in the dog’s jaws. The dog is alert, facing
to its left, with its tail and head both at a position
of attention. The piece is hollow, yet of a sturdy
manufacture, and the mouth of the lizard forms
the spout of a vessel. The two elements of the
composition are painted in slightly different
tones, the dog in a brick red, and the lizard in a
medium tan, each bearing the characteristic
spotted patina mentioned above.
The dog, seemingly confident about the outcome
of this match, appears to present the iguana to
an unseen master. The iguana, far from defeated,
seems to be a very formidable and well-matched
partner for the dog. Though momentarily
pinned by the dog’s jaws, it continues to contend
with the dog in this friendly contest, the iguana’s
mouth open and its legs poised and straining
against the dog’s powerful torso.
How many times have we watched dogs wrestle
with one another, not out of anger, but as an
expression of their playfully aggressive nature?
Regardless of whom the winner is, the
camaraderie established by this kind of harmless
play fighting serves to cement the bonds of
friendship, such as those seen here between the
charmingly arrogant little dog and his reptilian
playmate. Although they are members of
different species, their bonds are as strong as
the clay that cements their forms together. They
are frozen in a moment of time as if caught off
guard by a sudden sound, or an observer who
has made him or herself known, witnessing this
playful interchange.
