Xoloitzcuintle in the Dolores Olmedo Museum and the history of an unusual cultural symbol of Mexico (14 photos + 1 video)

The museum grounds are home to a small group of an ancient hairless breed of dog that was once believed to guide the souls of the dead through the underworld.





The Xoloitzcuintle (Mexican hairless dog) is an interesting ancient breed of dog. To admire these adorable hairless creatures and learn more about their fascinating history, you definitely need to visit the Dolores Olmedo Museum in Mexico City.



The remains of the "xolos" were discovered during archaeological excavations and date back over 3,500 years. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this breed is its baldness, which was the result of a gene mutation that arose thousands of years ago and became established as a dominant trait. However, given the climatic conditions of Mexico, this is an advantage, not a problem, for Xolos.





The long friendship of this unusual pet with people has led to the fact that a huge number of different cultural and religious beliefs are associated with the Xoloitzcuintle. The indigenous peoples of many regions of Mexico kept dogs as pets, for hunting, and even as a living healing heating pad to relieve various pains (which is not without logic, since in theory, contact with the skin helps relieve muscle pain, headaches, insomnia, asthma and rheumatism ).



However, in times of famine, the nobility even ate xolo, since its meat was considered a delicacy.



It was the Aztecs who raised the importance of this breed to new heights. They believed that Xolotl, the underground god of lightning, created the dog using a piece of bone from which man was made. Therefore, dogs were closely associated with Xolotl and were believed to serve as faithful guides on the dangerous journey of the soul of the deceased through the underworld of Mictlan. During burial, the Aztecs placed ceramic sculptures in the grave so that they could serve as guides to the afterlife.



Unlike the Aztecs and their gods, and despite their near extinction, xolos survived the Spanish conquest of Mexico into both the 19th and 20th centuries and became something of a fashion accessory. Famous artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera had many of them, and in some of Frida's paintings the dog features prominently in the foreground. The breed has become a kind of symbol of Mexico, and its representatives are also depicted in the paintings of Rufino Tamayo and Raul Anguiano.



The museum's founder, Dolores Olmedo, was also very fond of this mysterious breed and kept Xolos as pets throughout her life. By the way, Diego Rivera gave her the dogs. Olmedo had a keen interest in the cultural beliefs associated with these dogs and began searching for and collecting pre-Hispanic Xolo artifacts. Thanks to her long, meticulous work, the woman was able to collect a huge collection of ancient sculptures of this breed, which can be seen in the museum’s collection of pre-Hispanic art.



After Olmedo's death in 2002, the museum decided to honor her connection to the breed and continue the Xolo tradition forever. Since then, a pack of six dogs has been kept on the museum grounds in a spacious and elegant enclosure with its own monument. The museum's logo also depicts the skeleton of a Xoloitzcuintle.



Monument to Dolores Olmedo

Today, one of the key parts of visiting the museum is meeting some of these fascinating afterlife attendants. As for reality, these unusual dogs are calm, intelligent, people-oriented and get along well with children. The main problem is protecting the skin, but in animals it secretes a kind of oil that protects against burns and insects.



The Xoloitzcuintle is an interesting part of the culture, history and symbolism of this beautiful Latin American country.





Frida with dogs



Diego Rivera