Nahuales

Animals have always exercised an attractive power over man and have been present since the most ancient myths. On its own, the representation of fantastic traditions and beliefs has been an inexhaustible field of popular art objects, highlighting the figure of the man-animal that lives anachronistically in the communities and which is embodied in multiple figures.

The ancient Mexicans created with the animals symbols that have transcended to our days with the name of nahuales. The nahual has a double meaning: the nahual and the tona. The first has the power to turn into an animal, usually at night; The Tona, on the other hand, is an animal that is linked to man from the moment of his birth, it has protective attributes and is symbolically recognized as the guardian of each person.

Both Nahual and Tona are widely diffused among the indigenous and mestizo population of Mexico and popular artists reproduce them with their usual mastery and imagination.