Arising from a one‐day symposium entitled “Ancient and Modern: Exhibiting the Past in the Present” at the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, the theme for this special issue of Museum Anthropology focuses on contemporary museum practice. The contributors are specifically interested in the challenges of exhibiting “pasts” in the “present” while doing justice to the historical and modern peoples and cultures represented in exhibitions. The authors also explore related ideas about collaboration with source communities and how collecting practices have determined what is considered valuable and thus worthy of display in public museums.

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This article describes the collaboration with Maya artisans during the exhibition, Crafting Maya Identity: Contemporary Wood Sculptures from the Puuc Region of Yucatán, Mexico. The exhibition called into question the applicability of Western systems of value and classification to the aesthetic works of other cultures and also explored notions of contemporary Maya identity in the context of the local tourism industry. The artisans’ presence during the exhibition and their engagement with the public during organized events created opportunities for visitors to learn more about the artisans and their work. This paper takes a critical look at the exhibition's successes and shortcomings by way of feedback from the artisans and the public and offers recommendations for future collaborative projects.

This chapter focuses on the woodcarvings currently produced and sold in the Maya archaeological zones of Chichen Itza and the Puuc region of Yucatan, Mexico, which represent technical refinement, innovation and high quality in terms of their craftsmanship, design and materials used. Subject matter, source imagery, artistic influences, style and the artistic processes of the artisan-vendors will be considered in order to better understand the aesthetic significance of the woodcarvings created in these growing centres of cultural production.

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