This exquisite vintage hand carved wooden art panel from El Salvador appears to depict the Mayan Maize Corn God. The Mayan Maize God, Huh Hunahpu, is a key figure in Mayan mythology and is associated with death-and-rebirth and that life comes from the earth, which must be honored and respected. He is commonly associated with good harvests in some areas.
This panel would make an excellent wall display. It's also the size of a small modern lap desk for an iPad. The panel is carved from five pieces of wood. The sunken tray is one large piece of wood while each border uses a separate piece. The date of creation is unknown, possibly 1970's or earlier, generally classified as folk art. The wood is gently worn with some visible age marks.
Dimensions: Length 17 and 1/4 inches, Width 8 and 3/4 inches, Height less than 1 and 1/2 inches