interesting sculptures

Working with natural dark green Guatemalan jade, artisan Zandra Lorena Sajbin creates a pendant of the rune Ansuz. Ansuz, literally meaning "a god", is the rune of meaning and inspiration. The pendant centers a waxed cotton cord of adjustable length.

Runes are letters in the runic alphabets, which were used before the widespread adoption of the Latin alphabet. Some people also believe that runes have magical significance and can be used in divination. The word rune itself translates to "something secret or hidden".

Guatemalan artisans Juan and Carolina hand carve and paint this pinewood sculpture inspired by the Archangel Gabriel. The angel blows an orange trumpet, flying with blue wings. The rosy-cheeked angel wears black festively adorned in pink, yellow, and blue flowers and dots. The base of the supporting stand is painted in matching colors and motifs. The five parts of the sculpture -- the angel body, two wings, trumpet, and base -- are disassembled for easy shipping and can be easily reassembled upon arrival.

This angel's contemplative look seems to indicate that her book contains something very interesting. This ceramic sculpture is the work of Nicaraguan Arlen Estrada and features a bright red robe with a geometric pattern along the hem, all painted by hand.

"We designed these for spreading the icing on a cake, butter on bread and even your favorite dips," Peten Wood Artisan Sculptors tell us with obvious pride. They carve the pair by hand from cericote wood, a naturally dark-grained wood with interesting patterns that sometimes shows white parts, creating a striking contrast.

Hand wash with soap and water. Never use a dishwasher or expose the wood to heat sources or water, as they could cause it to warp. To renew the shine, polish the wood with vegetable oil and a soft cloth.

"We carved these spatulas from cericote wood, which is a hard wood. They are ideal to use when frying things as they won't scratch pans like the metal ones do, or melt like the plastic ones do," explain the carvers from Peten Wood Artisan Sculptors. Cericote wood is a naturally dark-grained wood with interesting patterns and sometimes shows white parts creating a striking contrast.

Hand wash with soap and water. Never use a dishwasher or expose the wood to heat sources or water, as they could cause it to warp. To renew the shine, polish the wood with vegetable oil and a soft cloth.