The Mexican State of Chiapas, with its large indigenous population and historical connections to Guatemala during the colonial period, offers travelers an experience different from most states in Mexico. Here they see Indians and Ladinos living side by side following centuries-old traditions, each with their own interpretation of Catholicism and a symbolic language that distinguishes their culture and customs. Among the most intriguing of these traditions is that of iron roof crosses, of which little is known. This book documents a fast-disappearing tradition in which crosses are mounted on rooftops in several colonial towns in Chiapas. As a primary example of this craft, Virginia Ann Guess has meticulously described turn-of-the-century iron roof crosses collected by the late Frans Blom, now located at Na Bolom, the Museum and Cultural Center he and the late Gertrude Duby Blom established in 1960 in San Cristobal de Las Casas. By extending her purview from this collection to the more than two hundred extant crosses of iron, wood, and cement that are still visible on roofs of San Cristobal, Guess provides the reader with a glimpse into how this custom is practiced, the variety of stylistic variations that occur among these roof crosses, and an interpretation of the symbols that adorn them. Her unique classification of the styles represented on these crosses offers the reader a template by which to view and better appreciate this folk art as she guides them through the streets of the old barrios where the crosses still can be viewed. With elements of catalogue, guidebook, and historical summary, this richly illustrated book based on an original study offers a comprehensive source of information for art historians, folk art enthusiasts, museum curators, and the casual traveler to Chiapas.
