jade sculptures

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 sun god, an image buried in the tomb of Pacal, or "Shield Jaguar." The king is interred beneath the Temple of the Inscriptions, and this jade mask is a one 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.

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.

"Mexico's ancient Olmec people were experts at carving jade," artisans from the Angel Cerón Artisan Association say. "They did so with skill and perfection. The jaguar was a favorite theme, and they frequently depicted human faces with cat-like features. These were the legendary jaguar-men who inspired this original mask." The artisans work in ceramic to craft an intriguing mask that pays tribute to Olmec cosmology.

A yellow serpent with jade green feathers crowns this intriguing mask from the ancient city of Teotihuacan. A highly revered deity in Mexico's ancient civilizations, Quetzalcoatl was related to the gods of wind, dawn, merchants, knowledge and art. Artisans from the Angel Cerón Artisan Association craft the piece of yellow clay from Oaxaca, colored with mineral tints.