Izapa Stele 5
Paul D. Yates
- Medium
United States
ca. 2019
Cut wood glued to backer-board
Izapa Stele 5 is a replica of the well-known Smithsonian-owned Aztec stone carving Izapa Stela 5, also called the “Tree of Life” stone, dating approximately between 300 BC and AD 50. While interpretation is still debated among scholars, many believe the stone to depict a Mesoamerican creation myth; however, some Latter-day Saints see this Aztec imagery as depicting Lehi’s vision of the tree of life. Yates made his handcrafted Izapa Stele 5 using carefully selected exotic woods, cut with a scroll saw and a Dremel rotary tool.