Handmade Paper > Shaped Paper

Amate or bark paper was made by the Mayans as early as 200 AD by a process similar to the one used to prepare this wall hanging. I beat strands of cooked inner bark of the paper mulberry or kozo shrub on a wooden board to fuse the fibers into a continuous sheet. The texture of the amate piece reflects its creation: A smooth surface characterized the side lying against the board on which it was made. The one beaten directly with the stone is rough.

The etched copper medallion is attached to the amate piece with handspun linen thread.