Guatemala Jaguar Carving

Artist: Unknown
Origin: Chichicastenango, Guatemala
Material: Painted wood

This hand-carved jaguar figure originates from Chichicastenango, a highland town recognized for its continuity of K’iche’ Maya ceremonial art. The piece is rendered in a crouched pose and painted in bold black and red striping—elements consistent with the local folk aesthetic. In Maya belief, the jaguar embodies strength, protection, and spiritual authority, often associated with the underworld and shamanic transformation. Carvings like this one may have served as symbolic guardians or ritual objects, and this example reflects the region’s direct, unembellished approach to sacred animal representation.