This small muslin bag was made in Frontera Corozal, Chiapas for sale to visitors to the community. Frontera Corozal is a small, predominantly Chol village in the Selva
Lacandona that is located on the banks of the Usumacinta River. The river forms the international border between Mexico and Guatemala, and the village of Bethel, Guatemala lies directly across the river. Many outsiders visit Frontera Corozal each day; this is the town where canoes can be hired for trips downriver to visit the Classic Maya cities of Yaxchilán and Piedras Negras.

Frontera Corozal was founded in 1976 after Chol people began resettling the lowland jungle where their ancestors lived for thousands of years. The diamond pattern on this bag (which also appears on modern Chol huipils) is reminiscent of clothing designs that appear on the famous lintels at Yaxchilán. Is this a cultural continuity that has lasted for

1,300 years? Or, did this pattern originate after the discovery of the famous Yaxchilán lintels in the 19th century?