One of my favorites shops in Antigua, Guatemala is Casa de Artes on Fourth Avenida Sur, around the corner from the Hotel Antigua and down the street from the small house where Olivia and I lived in 2003 while we waited for her adoption to become final. The goods sold by Casa de Artes are extremely beautiful and mostly out of my price range, but every trip I visit anyway, to gaze on their museum-quality textiles, masks, jewelry, and pottery, and learn something new from the knowledgeable and helpful women who work there, The ladies remember Olivia from when she was a baby, and always comment on how tall she has grown and how healthy she is. They remark on her developing Spanish skills and express delight that she returns often to visit. They know Olivia’s birth family is from the Highlands, and honor her heritage by bringing out to show what I call the “good stuff”–the rare, antique huipiles and cortes hidden away from light and dust in cabinets, made by talented artisans long ago in remote areas.
That’s a lengthy introduction to the real purpose of this post, which is to share an email I received today from Casa de Artes, informing me that October 28 is Maximon Day, which Casa de Artes is celebrating by spotlighting their Maximon sculptures and candles. I’ve written about Maximon before, but because the folks at Casa de Artes explain the man and his significance much better than I ever can, I’ll let their words speak for themselves. The photos are terrific, but you have to click on the link to see them. Apologies for the extra step! ~
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