Calling all cat lovers: Imagine trying to wrap a scarf around your cat’s neck. If your cat is anything like either of mine, you’d be in for a serious battle and probably some blood and tears. Yet one of my favorite sculptures shows a feline wearing what looks like a large scarf, looking as though it’s perfectly normal.
This sculpture is from the ancient site of Monte Albán in Oaxaca, Mexico, and dates back to between 400 and 600 CE. Today it is in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Antropología (or National Museum of Anthropology) in Mexico City. I've long been fascinated by this sculpture and love to teach it in the classroom, not just because it shows a cat (though I do love that) but also because it offers us a glimpse into the artistry, symbolism, and beliefs of the ancient Zapotec people. Why show a feline wearing something around its neck?
Cats in ancient art
I've long wanted to write about how cats are depicted in art across the globe and throughout time. This post begins a more concerted effort to write about felines in world history because who doesn't like cats?!
This short essay is the first of many that will dive into representations of cats in ancient art. In my opinion, objects and images of cats offer wonderful opportunities to dig into historical issues in more accessible ways. For example, this Zapotec feline sculpture allows us to consider how one ancient culture venerated and protected ancestors.
A Closer Look at the Zapotec Feline
Standing over 3.5 feet tall (111 cm), this ceramic figure is no ordinary house cat. It likely represents a puma, given its large clawed feet, rounded ears, and fierce open mouth revealing sharp teeth. Unlike most modern depictions of big cats, this one is adorned with a prominent scarf, a detail that immediately grabs my attention. Was the scarf purely decorative, or did it symbolize something more profound, perhaps a connection to the supernatural? We may never know for sure, but it certainly adds to the figure’s mystique. And that was likely intentional, given its function within a tomb.
Important note: I am calling it a scarf for convenience, but
The figure is hollow, which is a remarkable feat of craftsmanship considering its size and complexity. Figures like this one weren’t mass-produced—they were unique, painstakingly crafted works of art. Forming such a large, hollow sculpture in clay, painting it with multiple pigments, and firing it without cracking required considerable skill. The colors—including yellow, red, black, and blue—would have been much more vibrant when the figure was newly made. Though faded now, the muted pigments still hint at the sculpture’s original brilliance.
Function: Guardian of the Ancestors
This puma figure wasn’t just a decorative object that now helps us to understand the skill of Zapotec artists. It had an important function. It likely stood at the entrance to a tomb, serving as a guardian to protect the ancestors buried within. At Monte Albán, tombs are typically underneath living quarters, with a passage below a floor in a central courtyard.
Guardian figures were a common feature in Zapotec tombs, often placed to deter intruders or violators of the sacred space. They were protective figures, there to aid the ancestors resting within. The puma’s fierce expression, with its bared teeth and aggressive stance, would have conveyed a clear message: this is not a place to be disturbed. Ye be warned.
Interestingly, adding the scarf might indicate a supernatural aspect to this guardian figure. In many Mesoamerican cultures, adornments like scarves, headdresses, or capes signified a figure’s connection to the spirit world. Could this puma have been seen not just as a guardian but as a supernatural being capable of interceding on behalf of the dead? The possibility is enticing.
Fun fact: You will often see this feline recorded as a jaguar, undoubtedly because jaguars were so important across Mesoamerica. But the features of this cat suggest a puma, as noted above, given the rounded ears, among other features.
The Art of Monte Albán
Monte Albán, the city where this figure was discovered, was one of the most important Zapotec centers. Founded around 500 BCE, it flourished for over a millennium and became known for its sophisticated urban planning, monumental architecture, and rich artistic traditions. Like this puma figure, funerary art played a crucial role in Zapotec society, reflecting their deep reverence for ancestors and their belief in an afterlife. The puma was a fitting choice, symbolizing strength, protection, and perhaps even a connection to the underworld.
There is a much variety in Zapotec funerary art, and the so-called guardian figures are but one type. Each guardian figure likely carried a specific meaning, representing a particular deity, an animal with symbolic significance, or an ancestor elevated to a divine status. Guardian figures were not only animals but also humans. A figure of a priest from Tomb 113 shows a man standing with his legs apart and hands raised, likely a sign of warning to any entering a tomb that wasn't supposed to be there.
A Cat in a Scarf Offers Us Insight to the Ancient Zapotec
The Zapotec feline in a scarf may seem amusing to modern viewers (such as myself—it's a cat wearing clothes!), but it embodies a rich cultural and spiritual tradition. Its craftsmanship, vibrant (albeit now faded) colors, and imposing presence tell us a great deal about the Zapotec worldview and their artistic capabilities. Objects like this help us to piece together what we know about the ancient Zapotecs.
I hope you've enjoyed this purrfect introduction to cats in ancient art and Zapotec funerary art. Stay tuned for more. I also happen to have a half-written book about death, dying, and the afterlife in Mexican art, so there will likely be more of that material to come as well.
CITE THIS PAGE: Kilroy-Ewbank, Dr. Lauren. "An Ancient Zapotec Feline in a Scarf: Cats in Ancient Art." January 28, 2025. lkilroyewbank.com <Insert date you accessed> https://www.lkilroyewbank.com/post/zapotec-feline-scarf-cats-in-ancient-art
Learn more
Read a short essay about Monte Albán on The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Heilbrunn Timeline
INAH also has important information about Monte Albán that includes photographs and information in Spanish and English
Here is a virtual tour of Monte Albán, courtesy of INAH
If you want to watch a humerus video about a Zapotec bone sculpture (pun intended here) from Monte Albán, you can check out one of my videos on ARTSQ
A favorite scholarly book of mine is Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery's Zapotec Civilization: How Urban Society Evolved in Mexico's Oaxaca Valley, New Aspects of Antiquity (London: Thames and Hudson, 1999).
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