pre hispanic art

Artisans from the Angel Cerón Artisan Association are inspired by the concept of duality in Aztec spirituality and art for the design of this mask. "Existential duality between life and death is at the root of all conflict within oneself, and in relationship with others. We are born with both impulses, that of living and evolving, and that of dying," explain the Mexican artisans. Experts in pre-Hispanic art, the artisans craft a ceramic mask in which the green side of the face symbolizes life, and the other represents a skull. An ornate headdress with serpents, an eagle and two suns underscore the divine theme of this mask.

Cast from ceramic, this flower pot from Mexico resembles a vessel recovered at an archaeological dig site. Aldo Alvarez designs this flower pot, its exterior decorated with rows of skulls that evoke pre-Hispanic ceramics. A hole in the bottom allows for drainage.

Mexico's pre-Hispanic cultures honored their dead through celebrations and commemorations; after the arrival of the Spaniards, these cultural traditions became fused with the Catholic church's rituals and holidays, notably All Souls' Day in November which is now commonly known as the Day of the Dead. Influenced by these ancestral customs, artisans have been creating handicrafts using skull imagery for centuries. Jesus and Roxana Hernandez of the Mexican state of Oaxaca present this eye-catching skull-shaped home decor piece carved by hand from copal wood. Against a yellow base color, black lines are drawn to simulate a scaly texture, then the skull is further hand decorated with patches of geometric patterns on the top and sides in red, green, and pink. The dark eye sockets and nasal cavities are outlined in blue and green. Two rows of pearly white teeth complete the colorful cranium.