cultural sculpture

Mostly unknown outside of Mexico and Central America, the Apostle Jude — also known as Judas Thaddeus — is important in cultures from Mexico to Panama. One reason is that he is considered to be the saint of difficult and desperate circumstances. His name mirrors his devotion, for in Hebrew Judas means "praise be to God," and Thaddeus means "brave to proclaim his faith. This sculpture of the apostle is created y Huergo and Menchaca of Nicaragua in tropical cedar wood and painted by hand.

This cheeky feline is part of artisan Jesus Rivas's homage to Peru's northern culture. Featuring a colorful appearance, the statuette is handcrafted from ceramic, following the ancient Chulucanas technique that ensures a high-quality creation.

Artisan Made Darma of Bali hand paints this albesia wood egg sculpture with Balinese theatrical masks in black and off-white. Both comedic and tragic masks are depicted in exquisite detail. The egg comes with a mahogany wood stand.

Inspired by traditional Indonesian folklore, Artisan Wayan Rendah crafts this amazing statuette from crocodile wood that tells the tale of Sang Hyan Raith. Dewi Ratih, known for her beauty and grace, is a Hindu goddess worshiped in Java and Bali. The ancient story tells of the demon Kala Rau, who had his plans to attack Vishnu thwarted by the beautiful goddess. Vishnu beheaded Kala Rau, and the head of the beast would chase Dewi Raith every full moon and swallow her whole, but the goddess would gracefully emerge from the demon's neck where his body once was. The story is believed to be the origin of lunar eclipses, and every full moon a ceremony is held in Bali to celebrate the beauty of the moon.

For a lovely addition to your home decor, these dove figurines are designed by Peruvian artisan Santodio Paz. He handcrafts each dove of white ceramic in the style of pre-Hispanic Chulucanas handicrafts, decorating each one with curving motifs in black. The motifs are applied using mango leaf pigment and a resist technique.

In the glorious lands of Pucara, people attract harmony and good fortune to their houses by setting a stunning pair of bulls on their roofs. Known as the Toritos of Pucara, these sculptures are made from ceramic and represent the duality of the Andean worldview. This time, the little torito comes in an ivory base hue with turquoise, fuchsia and orange floral details made by the master artisan Elva Florez from Peru.