Amate paper is a traditional form of bark paper that is believed to have been developed by the Maya during the Mesoamerican Classic period (250-900 CE). The making of amate paper is labor-intensive, and the ancient Mesoamericans likewise highly valued amate and even gave paper as tribute and as offerings to the gods. The paper was also made into ritual garments and into … [Read more...] about Amate Paper Wall Decoration: Researched by Josh Barry
Mexican Talavera pottery has a long history that dates back to the early 15th century, soon after the Spanish conquest of Mexico. When the Spanish first conquered the Puebla region, they introduced new pottery techniques from the city of Talavera de la Reina in Spain to this pottery-making area. The Mexican city of Puebla was established in 1531and placed strategically between … [Read more...] about Talavera Pottery: Researched by Shayna MacDonald
The indigenous cultures of ancient Mesoamerica created a variety of highly sophisticated sculptures in different styles and materials, both as reliefs and as sculptures in-the-round. Many of these sculptures represent their religious beliefs, embodying the Mesoamerican pantheon of gods, while others depict the elite members of the nobility. Later Mestizo (mixed Hispanic and … [Read more...] about Images of Mesoamerican Elites and Deities in Reproduction: Researched by Whitney Mosley
The word most commonly used to describe the occurrence of small, solid, ceramic figurines is “ubiquitous,” as they are found everywhere in Mesoamerica. Throughout the Preclassic/Formative period (1500 BCE-250 CE) archaeological sites, figurines such as the objects in this display have been recovered in large numbers. While the find sites for these five figurines is unknown, a … [Read more...] about Preclassic/Formative Period Mesoamerican Figurines: Researched by Grace Young
Cultures throughout Mesoamerica produced ceramic figurines from the earliest periods through the time of contact with Europeans. These figurines depicted people of all levels of status, from common people to rulers, and the figurines also depicted deities. The study of ceramic figurines also illustrates how depictions of deities changed and developed through time. The … [Read more...] about Mesoamerican Sculptures in Reproduction: Researched by Jordan Seyer