The hills and riverbeds around Ticul have great clay, and the town has long been famous for its pottery. By far, the most highly regarded studio here is Arte Maya (Calle 23 between Calles 46 and 46-A, tel. 997/972-1669, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon.–Fri.) on the highway toward Muna.

The studio was founded by the late Wilbert González and now operates as an art school, women’s cooperative, and pottery store. The shop specializes in high-quality reproductions of classic Maya art, using laboriously prepared clay and all-natural “paint” made from local soils and minerals.

The artists typically model their work from photographs of pieces found during excavations—the finished products are by no means cheap, but they are remarkable in their faithfulness to the originals.

In fact, the shop holds a license from INAH—the government body that oversees all things Maya—to make such exact copies, and all pieces bear a special mark to distinguish them from actual artifacts.

Short tours (in Spanish) are given on request, and if someone is working you are usually free to watch. The shop is most active between November and April.