Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood Sculptures From The Puuc Region Of Yucatan, Mexico

Published for the exhibition at the Jack Olson Gallery, School of Art, Northern Illinois University, curated by Jeff Karl Kowalski and Mary Katherine Scott

Based on ancient Maya imagery and sold to visitors to archaeological sites, the technically refined, finely detailed, and visually complex carvings created by the artisans of the Puuc region are often described as handicraft or “tourist art.” These works, however, provide important information on how a relatively recent artistic trad…