Striking hand-carved cedar wood sculpture

This striking, hand-carved cedar wood sculpture merges a traditional ceremonial mask with a dynamic narrative relief panel. The piece utilizes a rich, reddish-brown base enhanced by a pure Tung oil finish, which creates a warm, natural backdrop for the vibrant, polychromatic Mesoamerican artistic motifs painted across the surface.

- This carved piece is inspired by Mesoamerica Art.
- 100% Hand-crafted on cedar wood by an artesano of Mayan descendants in Yucatan Mexico.
- It comes with wall attachment hardware and can also be placed on a flat surface.
- We make this item in many other sizes. Please contact shop owner for customization request.
- This item can’t be worn as a mask, home décor purposes only.
- Note: The item is handmade thus you may notice a minimum difference in patterns on pictures shown.

The Base: Ceremonial Visage
Design: The lower half features a stylized deity or warrior face characterized by striking, angular features, deep-set, hollowed eye sockets, an open mouth, and a strong, prominent nose.

Accents: Vibrant turquoise geometric patterns, reminiscent of traditional war paint or ceremonial markings, are boldly painted around the eyes and across the cheeks.

Ear Ornaments: Elaborate, blocky ear flares extend symmetrically from the sides of the face. These are heavily detailed with deep carvings and painted in bright, contrasting bands of crimson red, fiery orange, and lime green.

The Upper Relief: The Ancient Ballgame
The flat, rectangular headdress section serves as a deep relief canvas depicting a scene from the ancient Mesoamerican ballgame (often known as Pok-ta-Pok or Ōllamaliztli):

The Central Player: A dynamic, intricately carved figure is captured in mid-air, utilizing their hip to strike a solid black rubber ball. The player is detailed with traditional athletic regalia, including an elaborate headdress, protective padding, and a colorful loincloth.

The Court and Ring: The background features the carved horizontal lines of the sloped ballcourt walls. On the right side, the iconic stone scoring ring is rendered in high relief, projecting outward from the flat plane of the panel.

The Temple and Landscape: On the left side of the scene, a classic red stepped pyramid temple is depicted in the distance, grounded by a vibrant strip of bright green grass. Above the temple, stylized green foliage or a sweeping serpent motif frames the upper left corner.

Color Palette and Texture
Contrast: The carving relies on the stark contrast between the natural copper, maroon, and amber tones of the oiled wood and the vivid, historically inspired color palette of bright greens, reds, yellows, and turquoise.

Craftsmanship: The piece showcases a masterfully varied depth of field. The smooth, contoured features of the lower mask beautifully contrast with the complex, multi-layered high-relief carvings of the upper panel, creating a highly tactile and engaging three-dimensional artwork.