A Colima Terracotta Dog

Such expressive ceramic sculptures of small, hairless, fat canines have been found exclusively in tombs in Colima in northwestern Mexico. These singular dogs fascinated the Spanish conquerors centuries later. This hairless breed whose name, xolotzcuintli, derives from two words from the ancient Aztec language: Xolotl, the god of Lightning and Death, and itzcuintli, or dog, survive to this day. According to Aztec belief, the dog of Xolotl was created by the god to guard the living and guide the souls of the dead through the dangers of the afterlife.