WELL HUNG - ART & COLLECTABLES

 A MAYAN EXPERIENCE

MAYAN HAND CARVED FIGURE

FROM

THE WORLD OF SANTIAGO ATITLAN

THE PRESENT DAY VILLAGE OF ATITLAN LIES A SHORT CANOE RIDE ACROSS THE BAY OF SANTIAGO FROM IT ORIGINAL SITE ON THE STEEP HILL OF CHUITENAMET AT THE BASE OF THE VOLCANO CHUCHUK

THE VOLCANO TODAY IS CALLED SAN PEDRO

AS IN ANCIENT TIMES AND STILL TODAY THE MUCH OF THE MAYAN VILLAGE WAY OF LIFE IS UNCHANGED

THE MERCHANTS - WEAVERS - FISHERMEN - MUSICIANS - ARTISTS - FARMERS - REED MAT MAKERS - HEALERS - RITUAL DANCERS AND WOMAN OF THE VILLAGE LIVE AND WORK MUCH AS THEY HAVE IN THE PAST

LAKE ATITLAN HAS THREE MAGNIFICENT VALCANOES WITH CLASSIC PYRAMIDAL CONES

THE LAKE HAS BEEN NAVIGATED WITH DUG-OUT CANOES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME ACCORDING TO THE MAYAN

IT IS WITH THESE CANOES THE MEN OF ATITLAN TRANSPORTED THERE GOODS  TO MERCHANT TRAILS AROUND THE LAKE

FROM THESE TRAILS THEY SET OFF WALKING WITH HEAVY LOADS  ON THEIR BACKS TOWARDS DIFFERENT MARKETS THROUGHT THE HIGHLANDS

USING A TUMPLINE AND USUALLY A CARRYING FRAME

"TUMPLINE" IS A ROPE ATTACHED MECAPAL TO HOLD ON THE LOAD ON THE BACK

THE "MECAPAL" IS A WOVEN SLING THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN PLACE AROUND THE FOREHEAD TO HOLD THE LOAD ON THERE BACK

WOMAN ALSO CARRY SMALLER BURDENS IN PERFECTLY BALANCED BASKETS SET ON A CLOTH ATOP THEIR HEADS

THIS METHOD OF CARRYING HEAVY LOADS IS STILL USED TODAY

ANTONIO RABINAL

GARCIA PEREZ

AND

PABLO GASPAR VAZQUES

ARE MASTER CARVERS FROM THE LAKE ATITLAN AREA THAT ARE PRESERVING THE MAYAN WAY OF LIFE THROUGH THERE UNIQUE AND WONDERFUL CARVINGS

USING HAND CARVED CEDAR WOOD FROM THE PETEN JUNGLE OF GUATEMALA

MADE IN THE VILLAGE OF SANTIAGO ATITLAN

IN THE GUATEMALA DEPARTMENT OF SOLOLA

THE MAYAN TZUTUHIL

"  THE WEAVER  "

BY

GARCIA PEREZ

1996

 A MAGNIFICENT DETAILED CARVING SHOWING A WEAVER WITH HER BACK STRAP LOOM ATTACHED TO A TREE AS SHE WEAVES HER HUIPIL IN HER BACKYARD SURROUNDED BY HER WEAVING BASKET & TOOLS - CHICKENS AND MORE

MANY INDIAN GARMENTS ARE STILL MADE TODAY AS THEY WHERE IN THE ANCIENT PAST ON A BACKSTRAP LOOM ENTIRELY AT HOME FROM THE SPINNING OF COTTON TO DYEING TO THE WEAVING

TO MAKE A TRADITIONAL BACKSTRAP LOOM THE THREAD FOR THE WARP OR LENGHTWISE STRANDS IS WOUND AROUND A SET OF STICKS SET UPRIGHT IN A WOODEN BOARD

TWO STICKS ARE USED TO PICK UP THE THREAD FROM THE FRAME

THESE BECOME THE ENDS OF THE LOOM

ONE TIED TO A TREE OR POST THE OTHER ATTCAHED TO THE WEAVER'S WAIST BY A PIECE OF ROPE OR A STRIP OF LEATHER

MAYA

THE BEST KNOWN OF THE PRE-CONQUEST INDIAN CIVILIZATIONS OF THE PRESENT CENTRAL AMERICAN AREA ARE THE MAYA. THOUGHT TO HAVE EVOLVED IN A PERIOD IN THE PACIFIC HIGHLANDS OF GUATEMALA AND EL SALVADOR BETWEEN 1500 BC  AND  100 AD. THE MAYA CIVILIZATION WAS BASED ON INDEPENDENT AND ANTAGONISTIC CITY STATES. FAR FROM BEING THE PEACEFUL CEREMONIAL CENTRES, THEY WERE WARRING ADVERSARIES, STRIVING TO CAPTURE VICTIMS FOR SACRIFICE. ROYAL BLOOD BEING THE MOST PRECIOUS OFFERING THAT COULD BE MADE TO THE GODS

ALONGSIDE THE PREOCCUPATION WITH BLOOD WAS AN ARTISTIC TRADITION RICH IN CEREMONY, FOLKLORE AND DANCE.  THEIR TOOLS AND WEAPONS WERE FLINT AND HARD STONE , OBSIDIAN AND FIRE-HARDENED WOOD

THE ANCIENT MAYA MADE EXQUISITE POTTERY - CARVINGS AND MASKS FROM CLAY, STONE, WOOD, GOLD JADE, OBSIDIAN AND SHELL

MAYAN ARTISANS KEEPING THERE CULTURE AND HISTORY ALIVE

SIZE:

A LARGE CARVING WEIGHING 16 LBS.

13 "  WIDE

19 "  HIGH

25 " FRONT TO BACK

CONDITION:

IN EXCELLENT CONDITION

WITH THE USUAL NICK OR SCRAPE FROM AGE AND USE 

SHIPPING COST FROM GUATEMALA

THIS CARVING BREAKS DOWN TO MANY PIECES FOR EASY SHIPPING OR STORAGE

FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE

WORLDWIDE SHIPPING NORMALLY  -  $65 - $95

LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC - MAYAN OR CENTRAL AMERICIAN - MASKS - SLINGSHOT HANDLES - SANTOS - HUIPIL - TEXTILES - JEWELRY - JADE - TURQUOISE - ANTIQUES - BOOKMARKS - GREETING CARDS - POTTERY - NORTHWEST COAST - SALISH - HAIDA - CARVINGS - PAINTINGS

OR ANY OTHER ARTIFACTS

CONTACT US AT 

 MAYANMASKS@HOTMAIL.COM 

 WE CAN FIND WHAT YOUR LOOKING FOR

PLEASE SEE OUR

EBAY STORE AND AUCTIONS

FOR MORE OF THESE WONDERFUL CARVINGS AND COLLECTABLES

MANY PIECES WITH

FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE

 S  -  312

After purchasing, pay instantly with your credit card through PayPal!