Mexican
ART
This is the
Aztec
Calendar,
perhaps the
most famous
symbol of
Mexico,
besides its
flag. It is a
work of art and
has inspired
other art
forms.
The original object is a 12', massive
stone slab, carved in the middle of the
15th century. It weighs almost 25 tons,
has a diameter of just under 12 feet,
and a thickness of 3 feet.
It was during the reign of the 6th Aztec
monarch in 1479 that this stone was
carved and dedicated to the principal
Aztec deity: the sun.
On December 17th, 1760 the stone
was discovered, buried in the "Zocalo"
(the main square) of Mexico City.
Afterwards it was embedded in the wall
of the Western tower of the
metropolitan Cathedral, where it
remained until 1885. At that time it was
transferred to the national Museum of
Archaeology and History.
BARK PAINTINGS
- AMATE BARK -
Beautiful, brilliant, "Amate
Bark" paintings from Guerrero,
Mexico.
How Amate paper is made:
The Amate bark is boiled in
a water and lime juice
solution in huge caldrons for
several hours. When the
bark becomes soft, the
solution is drained and the
bark rinsed.
The fiber is laid out in
strips forming a mesh
on flat surfaces, then
beaten with a stone,
and dried in the sun.
The Otomi Indians and
other local indigenous
people use the Amate
paper in various rituals
to obtain a good
harvest or to drive
away evil spirits.
YARN PAINTING
Yarn painting
is done by
the Huichol
Indians in the
region north
of Puerto
Vallarta. The
yarn design
is pressed
into wax.
OAXACAN WOOD
CARVINGS
Each figure is carved by hand
from the wood of the copal
tree. Afterwards, the figures
are painted with brilliant
acrylic colors.
The end result is a one-of-a-kind work of art.
This talent is now
being passed down
to the third
generation of
Oaxacan carvers,
many of whom still
believe their figures
will bring good luck
to the potential
owner.
HUICHOL
BEAD ART
The rugged mountains
and remote villages of the
Sierra de Nayarit north of
Guadalajara are the
homeland of roughly ten
to fourteen thousand
Huichol Indians. These
were among the last
tribes to come under
Spanish rule.
The Huichols express these feelings through their art, which is
made not from the standpoint of decoration, but to give profound
expression to deep spiritual beliefs. This makes traditional Huichol
art, whether it be meticulous beadwork, yarn paintings, wooden
masks, or striking embroidered and woven personal adornments.
DAY OF THE DEAD
(El Dia de los Muertes)
Day of the Dead…
• Mexican tradition displaying
handmade skeleton figures
and shadowbox scenes.
• In early November, the
people of Mexico gather in
cemeteries to honor dearly
departed loved ones and to
celebrate the continuity of
life.
Mata Ortiz POTTERY
In the region of what is now the
vast desert of Northern
Chihuahua there once existed a
great cultural and trading center
known as Casas Grandes. This
thriving indigenous society
seemed to one day vanish
without a trace, leaving behind
nothing more than deteriorating
artifacts and frustrating clues for
scientists.
This was true until the early
1970's, when a young man
named Juan Quezada
resurrected the age-old ceramic
traditions of the desert region by
developing an innovative potmaking process known as the
single coil method. Miraculously,
his only guides were ancient
pottery shards found about the
tiny village of Mata Ortiz, located
just outside the original Casas
Grandes ruins.
Even more remarkable,
each delicate piece is
formed without the use of
a potter's wheel or other
mechanical assistance,
yet the finished pots and
their intricate geometric
designs are often
perfectly symmetrical.
Metal
ART
Hand crafted in San Miguel de
Allende and other regions in
Mexico, tin sculptures are a very
traditional item in old Mexico.
Choose from
a variety of
styles
including
silver
Milagros.
Milagro
means
“miracle” in
Spanish.
People carry small
Milagros for protection,
good luck, or good health.
For example, a heart could
represent a heart condition
that the Milagro carrier has
been praying about, or it
could represent a romance.
Tin Milagro
charms are
applied to
woodblock
crosses as
cure-alls for
everything from
broken hearts to
sick cows.
Shown 6"x12" $142
MEXICAN
FURNITURE
Each piece of furniture
is one-of-a-kind, unique
and hand-crafted by
artisans in San Miguel,
Mexico.
Papier Mache’
SCULPTURES
Talavera is a
type of majolica
earthenware, a
white and glazed
type of ceramic.
Although the
Spaniards
introduced this type
of pottery, ironically
the term Talavera
is used much more
in Mexico than in
Talavera de la
Reina, Spain.
TALAVERA plates
TALAVERA tiles
ZAPOTEC weaving