car part art

Ancient Maya craftspeople were masters at the delicate art of relief sculptures in stucco. Ruben and Gilda Perez utilize the material to create a beautiful mask with jade inlay. Faithfully reproducing an archaeological piece from Palenque, they depict the ruler Pacal, whose name means "Shield Jaguar." The king is buried beneath the Temple of the Inscriptions, and this jade mask is a part of the many offerings found there. The Guatemalan artisans present the mask on a brass and pinewood display stand, and it can also be displayed on the wall.

Henry Acquah's mask design features a brown and yellow-painted face embellished with aluminum plating, along with two long wooden extensions above and below the main part of the mask. Made from local sese wood, the artisan hand carves the mask and dries it for two weeks before sandpapering and then painting the finished product.

This elongated African mask with two faces is hand-carved from sese wood by Ernestina Oppong Asante. Although wood carving is traditionally the domain of men, this talented Ghanaian artisan has established herself as a carver on the strength of her own craftsmanship. This design is an original creation based on the art of the Bobo people.

Among the Bobo people of Burkina Faso and Mali, masks are used in rituals to help connect humans with nature and the gods. In ceremonies, the mask wearers lose their individual identities and become part of the divinity believed to be held within the masks.

Known as the demon who chases the moon across the sky, Kala Rau is captured in natural hibiscus wood, diligently hand-carved by Made Tresna, working with local Balinese artisans. Part of a myth that explains the lunar cycles, Kala Rau is depicted with fearsome teeth and a prominent, moon-shaped forehead.

Please note that natural hibiscus wood varies widely in color and grain, making each mask a unique work of art.