carved mask

Alert and watchful, a brown cat observes his surroundings. Nengah Sudarsana carves an admirable albesia wood mask, taking care to recreate and capture the cat in lifelike detail.

"I like making jaguar heads because they remind me of my Maya ancestors. To them the jaguars protected the fields and mountains. They regarded the jaguar as a deity who they honored at the beginning of a harvest," says Jose Canil Ramos. According to Maya cosmogony, the jaguar is represented by the Ix day of the Maya calendar. It symbolizes strength and vigor, as well as feminine and feline energies. Canil carves the sculpture by hand from pinewood and paints it with extraordinary artistry. Before finishing the piece he applies a mixture of soot and water to achieve an antique and weathered illusion.

Silhouetted against the sky, sparrows perch on bare winter branches. J. Blas depicts the birds in an iron sculpture for the wall. It is designed with four knobs to hang sweaters, caps or keys.

By Juan and Carolina, this mask is carved from pinewood to adorn you wall with the beauty of Guatemala. The face of a wolf is painted by hand with the images of colorful birds and flowers. The designs on the left side of the wolf's face are diligently carved by hand in relief. Say the artisans, "In these masks, we want to depict the Guatemalan flora and fauna, combining them with the colors of our traditional textiles."

With attentive ears, curious eyes and a strong trunk, this young elephant is ready to take on any challenge. Daniel Nyadedzor carves a handsome gift mask from Ghana's Ewe people, named Atiglinyi (Elephant). Such masks are given to someone who has been able to achieve a huge and difficult assignment successfully.