Jaguar Mask

The jaguar has always had powerful presence in Mesoamerican culture. It appears in the archeological record of the Olmec, Maya, Mexica, and other civilizations, and is repeatedly represented in the codices (manuscripts) created during the period of Spanish colonization (ca. 1521–1810). Jaguars appear in dance traditions throughout Mexico, known as the fights of "tigers." In these dances, men dressed as jaguars are chased and “captured,” symbolizing the harnessing of nature by human beings.