Stoic and timeless, the calm and confident gaze of a legendary culture is perfectly represented in this magnificent piece of Mayan God Pakal. Every cut and every carving, every detail etched into a carefully selected piece of wood reveals wonderful and amazing stories, Rosel Gonzalez Montoya creations will easily make for wholesome and inspiring conversations as well as long lasting, deep moments of appreciation.
Details:
This piece is currently not in stock. Once your order is processed, the artisan will receive an order to produce a replica of the item you ordered. Given the handcrafted and artistic nature of their pieces, your purchase may have some variation in color and shape. It is these same variations that make every item unique.
Elaboration times range from 20-30 days.
Measurements:
Small: 11.02" high x 3.54" wide x 3.54" long
Medium: 13.39" high x 4.72" wide x 5.51" long
Large: 19.69" high x 6.69" wide x 7.48" long
Weight:
Small: 1.21 lbs
Medium: 2.65 lbs
Large: 10.14 lbs
One of the state of Chiapas’ most important festivities, is Chiapa de Corzo’s Festival, where the protagonist are the “Parachicos”, who wear a wooden hand-carved mask, beautifully decorated and representing the faces of Spaniards in colony and “Conquista” times, this tradition was added to UNESCO’s Immaterial Humanity Heritage List since 2010.
Wood carving is another of Chiapa de Corzo’s pillars, several artisans use cedarwood, and consider it to be the most precious and malleable one. Once they have their cedar-wood block, they start by scabbling the block little by little, until they have successfully shaped a face, then, applying all their respect and love for this timber, they apply the very best of their skills to the crafting process of their pieces.
Even though that “Parachico” masks are the main activity of these artisans and their workshops, the love for their woodworking has led them to create exquisite sculptures with the theme of saints, “vírgenes” and other traditional folklore characters, using a variety of timbers, including the famous parota wood (commonly known as “Huanacastle”).
Another amazing form of art that these people produce is the sculpting of amber pieces, a skill in which many artisans have become specialized with this fossil resin.
Rosel Gonzalez Montoya
Born in Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas; he learned the basics about artisanal wood carving when he was nine years old, as well as amber-working; his teacher was his elder brother, Jose Alberto, and once he turned 17 he started studying with Master Reynaldo, a known sculptor renown because of his Japanese wood carving awards. Once Rosel turned 18, he started to win several local and statewide Art Competitions.
When he was 20 years old, he specialized in amber carving, and became a featured artisan in several Mexican Art Forums around the country, and in 2015, he exposed two of his Nativity Scenes in the Vatican, both of them in the indigenous style of Chiapas’ Altos Region.
What for some is a simple chunk of wood, becomes an opportunity to create a unique piece with a mystic touch for Rosel Gonzalez Montoya, just as the “Virgen de Guadalupe” that Pope Francis received from Rosel’s own hands in 2017.
He is distinguished by his great production quality, with amazing anatomical carvings, no matter which wood is used as the base, cedar, “huanacastle” (parota), mahogany, “cupapé”, “nanguipo”, or precious amber.
Rosel has been distinguished for making pieces, from the minute to fule scale, sometimes even over 1.60m, like a Don Quijote, a David and a Goliath Piece, and even a Jesus Christ Sculpture, which was 2.5m tall!
For supplying his timber needs, Rosel Collects dead wood during the whole year, he stores them, and even has friends and family helping him locate special woods fallen from trees around the rivers.
In his workshop, he has chisels from every size, measure and shape, gouges, crowbars, machetes, hatchets, saws and even chainsaws, all in service of his amazing art.
