Wednesday, October 11, 2006


I am a big fan of ancient Mayan images and have just finished cutting this jaguar out of linoleum, ready for proofing... This particular jaguar is very famous. The original is part of the Dance Platform of the Eagles in Chichen Itza (Mexico) and is from the Toltec-Mayan culture. The jaguar is symbolic of the military order of the Jaguar.

This image was especially meaningful for me since I had a jaguar encounter one morning years ago. While at Tikal, I had gone out alone to enjoy the site before the majority of tourists came in by plane. In the early morning ground fog, ahead of me on the path, I could just make out the form of a large cat, very mystical, not threatening. The jaguar looked at me for a minute and then faded into the mist. That image has haunted me for years...

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Siempre he estado muy aficionada de los imagenes de los Mayas de la antiguidad. Acabo de terminar los cortes en linoleo de este jaguar. Manana lo voy a probar... El imagen viene de la Plataforma de las Aguilas en Chichen Itza (Mejico) y es de la cultura Tolteca-Maya. El jaguar es simbolo del orden militar del Jaguar.
Este proyecto me era significativo por el recuerdo de un encuentro hace anos con un jaguar por la madrugada. Durante una visita a Tikal me fui sola a gozar el sitio antes de la llegada de turistas por avion. Caminando por el sendero vi por la nublina madrugal la forma de un gato grande, muy mistico y nada asombroso. El jaguar me miro un minuto y se desvanecio en la bruma. Este imagen me ha obsesionada por anos...

3 comments:

Annie B said...

Gorgeous! Please show us what this jaguar looks like when printed. When I lived in Taos New Mexico i had an encounter with a coyote much like you described with the jaguar. An experience like that is quite haunting.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I'd like to see the print too, this looks great, and I likesd your story too :-)

Florence

Diane Cutter said...

Annie b and Flo... I'll be sure to do that, probably in the next day or two. I'll be sure to let you know when it's up...