Mexico 4-Inch Signed Linoleum Block Print of a Jaguar, "Jaguar"

"I depict a fearless jaguar against a starry sky. This is one of the most beautiful animals that exist — strong, powerful, with a profound gaze," Marina Pallares confides. Working in black and white, she creates a small-scale linoleum block print. The feline held a special place in many Mesoamerican cultures. A resident of the Yucatan peninsula, the small spotted cat was venerated by the ancient Maya, who called it Balam. The renowned Aztec Jaguar warriors, an elite infantry comprised of pre-Hispanic noblemen, wore helmets in the shape of the jaguar, or oceotl. And the Olmec "were-jaguar" — half human, half cat — is a recurrent theme in their art.