indonesian sculpture

Angel Cerón reveals the presence of Chalchiuhtlicue as he works with clay extracted from the state of Oaxaca. Officially authorized to replicate pre-Hispanic museum pieces, Cerón crafts a detailed statuette of this feminine deity, the female companion of Tlaloc, Aztec god of rain. The original is dated between 1325 and 1521 A.D. Chalchiuhtlicue is the goddess of lakes, rivers, fountains, seas and oceans, and thus the protector of sailors and is also known as "She with the Jade Skirt" symbolizing pure and crystalline running water. "Chalchiuhtlicue is usually depicted holding a staff representing lightning, and a bag of copal, where clouds are formed. She is revered as the female principle of life and patron of midwives and newborns," explains Cerón who though he has officially retired, he continues to pursue his life-long passion for pre-Hispanic art.

Artisans from the Angel Cerón Artisan Association replicate the vivid sculpture of a Maya woman, believed to be related to the cult of the goddess of weavers. The original dates circa 600 - 800 AD and was found in the Island of Jaina, off the coast of Campeche. "The Maya named this island Hanal, which means 'house of water' and turned it into a commercial center," the artisans explain. "Renamed Jaina by the Spanish, the island is now famous for its myriad Maya tombs filled with a variety of statuettes and utensils, as was their custom. The fact that the original sculpture portrayed a woman with an elaborate headdress and detailed garments suggests she represented a person from the aristocracy."

A hand-crafted anthropomorphic bat snarls viciously as it bares its sharp teeth and sticks out its tongue. One of the many deities in the Central American religious pantheon and a symbol of darkness and death, this deity was believed to accompany the dead on their journey to the underworld. Artisans from the Angel Cerón Artisan Association bring us this impressive and awe-inspiring museum replica of a Zapotec ceramic funerary urn that dates back over 2000 years.