Ajijic's brilliantly colorful street murals, Part 1

Mural of a pregnant tree goddess. It is located on the wall of a private home located on Calle Lázaro Cardenas, just east of Calle Encarnación Rosas. The mural is signed "L. Matiz y Wins, 08/03/2024". Mexico has a long tradition of wall murals, dating back at least to the Classic Era of the pre-hispanic period. Artists in Ajijic, the pueblo where I live, have continued this tradition with an extraordinary number of brilliantly colorful murals. Some of them were publicly funded, while others were commissioned by local businesses or private homeowners. 

This posting is the first of a multi-part series which will show a few of the many murals that have been created by our local artists. In Part 1, I'll focus on five different art works located in the area between our home and Ajijic's main plaza. When a mural is large, I will include photos of various parts of it so you can appreciate the details. When the artist has legibly signed and dated the mural, I will include those, along with a link to further information.

Mural highlighting the fiestas of Ajijic

Long mural celebrating Ajijic's various fiesta traditions. It is located on Calle Felipe Angeles at the corner of Calle Castellanos and decorates the side wall of Go Bistro, a popular local restaurant. The names of two artists appear on a corner of the mural: Mario Ramirez and Itzel Montion, however there was no date. The six photos that follow will show different sections of the mural.

The Sayacas of Carnaval (Mardi Gras). Sayacas are men who dress up in women's clothing, often using large balloons to simulate breasts. The Sayacas are just guys being playful and a little crazy. Carnaval parade spectators are often pelted by handfuls of flour while being pursued by Sayacas. It's all part of the explosion of fun that occurs just before the sober period of Lent. While today's Sayacas are connected to the Christian Lent, the tradition is believed to date back to pre-hispanic times. 

Four men carry a statue of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. This fiesta is held every December 12, in honor of the most important Catholic saint in Mexico. The Virgin of Guadalupe is not only a religious figure, but an important political symbol. She first appeared in 1531 to a Christianized Aztec man. Legend has it that he encountered her in a ruined pagan temple. She was brown-skinned and spoke the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs. These features made her immensely attractive to indigenous people in Nueva España. Later, Mexican insurgents displayed her image on their flags during the Independence War. 

This figure embodies several important traditions. Skulls and skeletons abound during the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), held every November 2. This fiesta's roots stretch far back into pre-hispanic times. It celebrates the annual return of the deceased to commune with their living relatives. The fiesta includes parades, family altars, and lots of great fun. 

Another tradition is the charro outfit worn by the skeleton figure. This is the clothing favored by the men (and women) who display their dazzling riding and roping skills at charreadas (Mexican rodeos). Those skills are closely associated with Jalisco's colonial-era haciendas. The instrument he plays is central to mariachi bands, who also favor charro outfits. Mariachis are another tradition which originated in Jalisco. 

Man whoops it up with a vivacious catrina. They dance to the music of the charro-clad skeleton. The man above may be the portrait of an actual person. The artist, Manuel Ramirez, often includes images of his friends and acquaintances in his art works. Although these skeleton figures often appear at Day of the Dead fiestas, they were not originally part of that tradition, but grew out of 19th century politics.

Catrins (the male figures) and catrinas (the females) were created by a 19th century political cartoonist named Guadalupe Posada.  He used them to lampoon the pretensions of Mexico's upper class during the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz. His cartoons sometimes got him into trouble and eventually forced him to flee his hometown of Aguascalientes. However, catrins and catrinas have been wildly popular in Mexico since the beginning of the 20th century and eventually became associated with the Day of the Dead.

Another masked and artificially buxom Sayaca flourishes her skirt.  A small dog sits next to her, alertly watching the action. While some of Ajijic's murals are in heavily traveled areas, others seem randomly placed. This makes for interesting surprises as I round a corner and am suddenly confronted by a scene like this. The most important factor in their placement is probably the availability of large, flat open spaces on walls.

A couple of mounted charros occupy the far end of the mural. One carries the Mexican flag, while his partner clutches an open can of beer. Charros on horseback participate in many of Ajijic's fiestas, particularly those celebrating the War of Independence and the Mexican Revolution. In fact, I have probably photographed both of these men at one fiesta or another. I was particularly amused by the charro with the beer. I have seen similar charros ride up to a local store, summon the proprietor to sell him a beer, then finish it without ever dismounting. 

Images of the Lake

Birds, fish and plant life of Lago de Chapala. I found this mural and the next one at the corner of Ajijic's Carretera (main street) and Calle Castellanos. Each of its two sides is a mirror image of the other. The animals include White Pelicans, Great White Egrets, and various kinds of fish. I was a bit mystified, at first, by the two large brown objects on either end of the mural. They look a little like candle holders. I finally decided that they are images of the small containers that pre-hispanic people once threw into the water with offerings for the god and goddess of the Lake. I could find no signature by the artist or date.

A fisherman pulls his catch from the water while nets dry in the background. This beautifully captured scene is similar to many I have observed and photographed in the past. The feeling of quiet serenity expressed in the mural was juxtaposed with the bumper-to-bumper traffic passing just a few feet away on the Carretera. However, just a few blocks to the south, a walk along the shore of Lago de Chapala can still yield the feeling I got from this mural. 

Frida in her garden

Portrait of Frida Kahlo communing with nature in a lush garden. This mural is on the wall of a condominium on Calle Encarnación Rosas between Calle Emiliano Zapata and Ajijic's Carretera. The date on the mural is 2022, but the signature is unclear. It  may be Juanjo Bagnar, but I could find no information about an artist of that name.

Frida Kahlo was one of Mexico's most famous artists. Her paintings focused on popular culture and folk art, as well as self-portraits. She was married to Diego Rivera, one of Mexico's greatest 20th century muralists. Their stormy marriage included a brief affair between Frida and Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky, as well as a fling by Diego with Frida's sister. 

Painted on the stone wall under the mural of Frida are two dogs and a cat. The dogs' leashes are painted so that they appear to be attached to a nearby pole. Interestingly, the middle dog and the cat both have halos over their heads. I interpret this to mean that they have both passed over to Critter Heaven and that their former owner, who commissioned the mural, still cares for them. The leashes indicate that the owner is a  likely a foreigner. Although many dogs run loose on the streets here, that doesn't mean they don't have a home. Many Mexicans don't leash their pets or keep them penned up in yards.

Street scenes 

Local folks gather to watch a sparking, flaming castillo. Many of Ajijic's fiestas feature this dramatic form of fireworks as the climax of the event. A castillo ("castle"), is a tall, rather flimsy structure of sticks tied together. Attached to it are various fireworks, including rockets on pinwheels that shoot sparks and spin wildly. A large castillo, set alight after dark, is an impressive spectacle,. However, they would probably give U.S. or Canadian fire marshals heart palpitations. 

The artist of this mural and the two that follow is Jesus Lopez Vega, a friend of mine for many years. In fact, he guided me to the abandoned gold mill that was the inspiration for my blog postings called La Rusa's Gold Mine. Jesus has a gallery/studio in west Ajijic where he works and displays many of this paintings. He is also one of Ajijic's most prolific muralists. In a future posting of this series, I will show some of his work, including the spectacular stairwell murals of Ajijic's Cultural Center.

Street scene showing the church on Calle Parroquia and Marcos Castellanos school. The mural decorates the front of a private home. While it shows the lake and mountains in the background, they are actually to the south (right). Also, there is a large mural painted on the school facade which is not shown here. I guess this is what "artistic license" means. Many of Jesus' paintings include one or more dogs, one of which can be seen in the foreground, peering back at the viewer. Notice the horseman talking to the woman in front of the school. This detail tells a small story in itself.

Fill 'er up, please! Remember the mural of the mounted charro carrying a beer? In this mural detail, a vaquero (cowboy) leans down with his mug so that the woman can fill it from her pitcher. The white liquid it contains is probably pulque, a mildly alcoholic beverage made from the heart of the agave plant. Pulque has been enjoyed by Mexicans for centuries and by their pre-hispanic ancestors for millennia before that. People in the rural areas still drink it, although it has been largely displaced by beer in the more urbanized areas. 

The completes Part 1 of my series on Ajijic's murals. I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question, please remember to include your email address so that I can respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim

Cobá Part 9 of 9: Grupo Macanxoc's temples and stelae

 

This long arcade forms one side of Temple A5's courtyard. The seven columns may have once supported a vaulted roof over the arcade. This structure, known as A4, forms the west side of a courtyard that surrounds an important temple called A5. Stela #6 stands to the right, out of sight. There will be more on Stela #6 later in this posting.

Part 9 is the last of my Cobá series. In it, I will cover Grupo Macanxoc's  temples and four of its stelae of that I didn't show in Part 8. Three of Part 9's stelae are carved with images of male rulers who either preceded or succeeded K'awill Ajaw, the warrior queen who was Cobá's greatest monarch.  The fourth stela is so worn that no images or glyphs remain.  

Temples of Grupo Macanxoc

Base of a small, un-named temple platform. A small altar stands about 1m (3.2ft) in front of the three-step staircase. I have had considerable difficulty identifying some of Grupo Macanxoc's structures, including this one. For one thing, many of them lacked signs. In addition, the various archeological reports I have researched often assign conflicting labels to the same structure and others are left un-named entirely. Google Street View can be useful, but the Street View camera person who visited Cobá spent little time in Grupo Macanxoc. I was only able to use that method to identify three structures.

Adding to all this is the haphazard layout of Grupo Macanxoc. Most Maya cities have core areas that are carefully arranged according to the Four Cardinal Directions. As you can see from Part 8's site map, many of Grupo Macanxoc's structures are not arranged that way. I therefore ask blog readers to excuse any mis-identifications. I always take great pains to be accurate in my blog postings, but errors can happen. If anyone has corrections, please leave them in the Comments section and I will make adjustments if your identifications are superior to mine.

This structure is one of the largest temples in the Macanxoc Group. I have been unable to determine the correct name or designation of this one too. It is multi-level and contains rooms of various sizes, one of which you can see above.. All the archeological reports that I have reviewed refer to the structures in this part of Cobá as exclusively for ceremonial or religious purposes and as a place to erect self-aggrandizing stelae. Archeologists believe Grupo Macanxoc had no residential functions. The lack of sleeping platforms and firepits seem to confirm this.

View from the top of the large temple. This may be the structure called A7. Another large structure, called A5, can be seen in the distance. Its broad staircase contains a palm-frond palapa, which protects Stela #7. The stairs of A5 lead up to a large platform which contains another temple that can be seen through the trees. Structure A5 and Stela #7 will be shown later in this posting.

Stela #3

Stela #3 is set into the west side of Structure A6. This small temple has a three-level platform. Behind the third level is a small square room. The room was probably a place for secret rituals not meant for the eyes of commoners or other unauthorized persons. 

View of A6 from the left rear. Here you can see the small square room in the rear of the temple. The door you can see above is on the north side. There are a total of four doors, one on each side. I have often been puzzled by the amount of time and energy the Maya must have spent to build structures which have extremely small rooms. However, some rituals and ceremonies may have been carried out on other parts of A6's three-level platform.

In front of Stela 3 is a small circular altar, surrounded by a ring of stones. The altar is enclosed on three sides by a low "U"-shaped wall. I could find no mention in the archeological reports about artifacts or offerings discovered under or near the altar. Of course, this doesn't mean some won't be found in the future (see Stela 11 in Part 2). Stela #3 is sizeable, standing 2.53m (8.3ft) tall and 1.27m (4ft) wide. Only the front side contains carvings. 

Drawing of Stela #3. Most of its many glyphs are unreadable. The ruler wears the knee-length kilt which identifies him as a man. Among the few readable glyphs is the stela's dedication date of 633 AD. Archeologists believe the image is that of Sihyaj Chan K'awiil, who ruled 610-632 AD. The stela was erected a year after his death by Xaman K'awiil, his son and successor, who ruled 632-640. Sihyaj Chan K'awiil may also have been the father of K'awiil Ajaw. Some archeologists speculate that the image on the stela might be of Xamen K'awiil himself. Given the time frame, it must be either the father or the son.

Note that the figure on the stela has only one captive at his feet and the ruler is not standing on him. Stelae dated later show multiple captives, often directly under the feet of the ruler. This expresses a greater level of domination. As time went on, during the 7th century, Cobá's rulers became progressively more aggressive and militaristic. K'awiil Ajaw (ruled 640-682) became kaloomté after the death of her brother, Xamen K'awiil. Her stelae display more captives, either beside or under her feet, than any other ruler of Cobá. It is probably no coincidence that the city's domain reached its greatest extent during her rule.

Stela #6

Stela #6 is a stand-alone monument. It sits atop a small platform, surrounded on three sides by a low wall. In the background you can see the wall and columns of Structure A4, shown in the first photo of this posting. Stela #6 was found in 1926, during the 3rd expedition of the Carnegie Institution of Washington (CIW). When it was discovered, it lay in nine fragments near the wall of Structure A4 and had to be re-constructed. (Photo from Maya Ruins Website)

Drawing of Stela #6.  Among the handful of readable glyphs are two dates: May 7, 613 and March 16, 623. This stela is the oldest of the eight at Grupo Macanxoc and its dates place it within the reign of Sihyaj Chan K'awiil. Consequently, he is almost certainly the figure portrayed. Among the glyphs are some that make an intriguing reference to a previous kaloomté whom the glyphs identify as his grandfather. The title is clear but the name is indistinct and there are no related dates. However, the readable glyphs contain a flaming torch and the symbol for a house, leading archeologists to nickname him "Torch House". 

Sihyaj Chan K'awill has one captive kneeling by his feet. The prisoner is thought to be from the city of Oxkintok. This strongly suggests an adversarial relationship  between the two cities during Sihyaj Chan K'awiil's reign. Cobá's power and territory was expanding during the early 7th century, so conflict with neighboring powers would be expected. Even though Oxkintok is 230km (143mi) across the Yucatan Peninsula from Cobá, they may have fought over territory where their realms overlapped or for control of important trade routes.

Stela #7

Stela # 7 is embedded in the steps of the staircase of Structure A5. This temple and its stela can also been seen in the 4th photo of this posting. One of my best sources for information about ancient Maya sites is the Maya Ruins Website, which describes A5 as 

"...the main structure of a small complex located on the east side of a plaza. The complex is entered through a passageway between two separate chambers, each divided by three pilasters. The passageway opens into a small courtyard. The main structure exhibits a broad, west-facing stairway that leads up about 8 feet/2.4 meters to a partially restored corbel vaulted temple. Imbedded within the stairway is Stela 7. The east and north sides of the structure also display a stairway. The sides of the structure form nicely slanted walls with the temple superstructure exhibiting an upper medial molding."

Stela #7 stands on the third step of the west-facing stairway. The stela is so eroded that nothing remains of any images or glyphs. One archeologist has suggested that it may have always been blank, as is the case of some in other Maya cities. However, there are no other deliberately blank stelae in Grupo Macanox and very few in Cobá itself. It is more likely that the poor quality of the limestone in this area resulted in the complete loss of the stela's carvings. However, since the dates on all the other stelae in this part of Cobá fall within the 7th century, it is likely that this one was erected in the same time frame.

Another of my prime sources has been the website of the Peabody Museum at Harvard University. It provides photos, drawings and physical descriptions of Cobá's Stelae #1 through #23 and has been an invaluable aid in my research. However, Stela #7 is the only one missing in that list of 23. This is probably due to its lack of images or glyphs. However, information about its dimensions and how and when it was found would have been helpful. 

Stela #8

Another of the stand-alone stelae is #8. It stands about 40m (131ft) southeast of Stela #1, near where Sacbe 9 enters Grupo Macanxoc (see Part 8 site map). The stela is badly eroded and the only remaining images are at the bottom. The Stela #8 stands in a three-sided enclosure built on a low platform and is only 1.61m (5.3ft) tall. It appears to have been truncated at some point and the top part is still missing. However, missing pieces of Cobá's stelae and inscriptions have tended to turn up over time (see Part 2 and Part 7). The missing part of Stela #8 may yet be found, hopefully with some readable glyphs.

Drawing of Stela #8. Most of the glyphs and images have flaked off the upper part of the limestone surface. However, four captives are still visible. Two are kneeling, one on either side of the ruler's sandaled feet. Two others crouch under his feet, butt-to-butt. As noted earlier, archeologists believe that the number of captives and their positions relative to the feet of the ruler are significant. 

Prior to the rule of Kaloomté K'awiil Ajaw, Grupo Macanxoc's stelae show only one captive kneeling beside the rulers' feet. Beginning with K'awiil Ajaw, the stelae show from two to four captives, with some crouching under the ruler's feet. Since Stela #8 is in this latter category, it must be from the period when Coba's aggression was at its peak. This may place it during the reign of Chan Yopaat, the son of K'awiil Ajaw. He ruled from 682 to 692. An inscription at Edzna mentions "he of Cobá", an important person who was captured and sacrificed in 692. This matches the date of Chan Yopaat's death. 

This completes Part 9 of my Cobá series and also the series itself. I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below. If you leave a question, please remember to include your email address so that I can respond in a timely manner.

Hasta luego, Jim