unusual wall art

Mictlantecuhtli, lord of the dead, stares out from his multiple skulls in this ceramic mask handcrafted by the Angel Ceron Artisan Association of Mexico. Mictlantecuhtli's main face is half skull and half man, with a serpent slithering down the side of his face. A multitude of smaller skulls complete the mask. The mask's details are hand painted in a myriad of earthy colors. A small loop at the top of the mask allows for it to easily be hung on a wall.

"I like making jaguar heads because they remind me of my Maya ancestors. To them the jaguars protected the fields and mountains. They regarded the jaguar as a deity that they honored at the beginning of a harvest," says Jose Canil Ramos. According to Maya cosmogony, the jaguar is represented by the Ix day of the Maya calendar. It symbolizes strength and vigor, as well as feminine and feline energies. Canil carves the sculpture by hand from pinewood and paints it with extraordinary artistry. Before finishing the piece he applies a mixture of soot and water to achieve an antique and weathered illusion.

This expertly hand-carved pinewood mask by Jose Canil Ramos of Guatemala brilliantly reflects its Mayan roots. The carved face is adorned with a colorful plume to depict the ornamentation of the upper echelon of Mayan society. The mask is made with an elaborate method to create a unique masterpiece that will stand out on any wall.Of his inspiration, the artisan says, "I made this mask thinking of the artistic beauty of Mayan plumes. Besides being important for denoting social class or hierarchy, they were pieces of art."

"Kinich Ahau, the lord with a solar face, is the Maya god of sun and music. He is married to Ixchel (the moon) and he is regarded as the god of gods and lord of war. He settled disputes and distributed land amongst the different villages," says Angel Cerón of this ceramic mask replica. "Kinich Ahau is usually portrayed with jaguar ears and T-shaped teeth. His beard symbolizes sunrays and big, almost square-shaped eyes." Cerón is oficially licensed to reproduce this extraordinary replica of the mask found in Palenque (Chiapas) and dated 600-900 AD.

Deep in the rainforest of Campeche in southern Mexico lies the ancient Maya city of Calakmul. Its symbol was a serpent. By Ruben and Gilda Perez, this elegant sculpture reproduces a mask depicting the 6th century ruler, Jaguar Claw. The artisans work in jade and stucco in a painstaking labor that takes some seven days to complete. The museum replica arrives with a brass and pinewood display stand, and can also be displayed on the wall.

Beautifully handcrafted of jade and stucco, this bold sculpture replicates a mask discovered in the ancient Maya city of Tikal. It was found in Tomb 160 and dates from 527 A.D. Such masks were placed in burials to be worn by the spirit of the deceased king in his journey through the underworld. Exquisitely crafted by Ruben and Gilda Perez, the museum replica arrives with a brass and pinewood display stand, and it can also be displayed on the wall.