Kangaroo Nahual by Pedro Mendoza
Carved and painted wood
Ht. 16" x W. 15" x D. 6"
Woodcarver Pedro Mendoza works in La Unión Tejalapam, one of the three important woodcarving villages in Oaxaca. This figure is a kangaroo nahual, a most unusual and fun version of the nahual, an important mythological figure widely found in all forms of Mexican folk art. The nahual is half human, half animal and is a magical shape shifter capable of bestowing blessings or making mischief.