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This ceramic nagual was made by the renowned Candelario Medrano (1918-1986), one of the top figural ceramists in Mexico. He lived in Santa Cruz de las Huertas in the state of Jalisco, one of the largest pottery-producing states in Mexico. Medrano is known for his whimsical castles, bandstands, churches, slim apartment buildings, circus tents, arks, animals, owls, boats, trains, buses, taxis, cars and airplanes. On some of these pieces he would populate them with groups of happy people oftentimes with very expressive faces. Of his most celebrated designs are the naguales. The nagual is a mythic being with origins in Mesoamerican folk religions and can be interpreted in various ways. It can be seen as a shape-shifter, or a human that takes animal form. Our nagual stands upright, resembling the body of a chicken with a human face. Large protruding teeth and tongue, large comical ears, and bent rams horns give the face its unique look. Medrano succeeds wonderfully here in turning a somewhat intimidating figure into a playful, fun creature through the use of color. The top of the head is striped with the Mexican red, white, and green, which is continued throughout the body. Red, yellow, and blue lines streak up a green body, all with detailed lines of black. The nagual was a common theme within the work of Candelario Medrano as it is with many other ceramic artists in this region. Medrano is now deceased but several of his relatives continue working in his style. This large nagual is in good condition: some hairline fractures are present and one of four teeth is chipped.
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