Underwater Panther, c. 1500 CE

Ceramic Ugahxpa (Quapaw) Underwater Panther, c. 1500 CE, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. From the object's description on artsmia.org: *"The prominent colored swirls and eye motifs mark this animal as an Underwater Panther, one of the primary beings in the ancient Mississippian belief system and that of their descendants. The swirling pattern on its sides signifies water, while the eye markings allude to the animal's unusually keen vision. Red and white were symbolically significant colors that represented fundamental oppositions such as peace and war, light and dark and the on-going struggle between the celestial and subterranean realms."* More information about the model here: https://collections.artsmia.org/art/89843/vessel-ugahxpa