Ancient Mayan Inspired Jewellery

After being obsessed with ancient architecture and civilisations the past few years, it was inevitable that I would visit the Ancient Mayan pyramids in Central America. 

Last July, I was lucky enough to visit Xunantunich, Copàn Archeological site, Ometepe petroglyphs, and Tikal ruins.

It was eye-opening to learn about the wisdom these ancient civilisations collected in their long existence, and have preserved. Knowledge such as numerical counting systems and complex languages, the famous Mayan calendar, astronomy, symbolism, and religious beliefs. 

I learned about the many diverse animals of each local area, from guides who keep the old knowledge alive by teaching tourists and school groups. It was amazing that many of the animals considered sacred and sometimes worshipped were often keystone species revered for their role in the ecosystem. Water was, and, in some places, still is understood to be sacred. The people belong to the land. Some say the Rainforest is an overgrown garden which used to be vast farms that became abandoned and overgrown. Much of the Rainforest has temples and hidden cities buried, suggesting that Ancient Maya was hugely populated before colonisation. 

These pieces of jewellery were crafted after my trip, inspired by the serpents, skulls and overgrown architecture of the Ancient Ruins. I used stones like tiger's eye and labrodorite, and those are emeralds in each eye. The feathered man is an obsidian knife, which I electroformed in copper with raw clear quartz wings, hand sculpted. Thanks for reading 📚 😀 Iona