Last week I wrote that I had visited a couple ethnographic galleries at Mexico City's Museum of Anthropology. The second hall that I visited was devoted to the peoples of Oaxaca.
The southern state of Oaxaca has the highest percentage of indigenous peoples in Mexico. About one third of the state's population speak native languages, and about half of those do not speak Spanish. The two most important tribes in the state are the Zapotecs and the Mixtecs, both of which had important civilizations in the pre-Hispanic era.
At the entrance to the hall is a statue of a "feather dancer". The "danza de la pluma" (feather dance) is one of the best known folkloric dances of Oaxaca.
Many different styles of pottery come from different towns in the state. Oaxacan pottery has gone beyond utilitarian uses, and has become highly prized by collectors.
The best known is the black pottery from the town of San Bartolo Coyotepec,
"Alebrijes", fanciful wooden carvings of animals, have become an internationally popular handicraft. The economy of a couple towns in Oaxaca is based on the creation and sale of these items.
The women of Oaxaca traditionally wear gold filigree jewelry. Some of the designs are based on items found in pre-Hispanic tombs.
Other states such as Guerrero and Michoacán are better known for their lacquerware, but it is also produced in Oaxaca.
Basket making is an important utilitarian craft.
Decorations made of tin are a popular handicraft sold to tourists in the markets.
Textiles are an important craft. They range from handwoven woolen blankets to the apparel which is unique to each village.
A wide variety of masks are created as a part of the costumes used in traditional dances.
One such dance is the dance of the tigers. Its origins go back to before the Spanish conquest. The jaguar was an animal associated with Tezcatlipoca, a god that was both good and bad, a creator and a destroyer. The dancers still make offerings of corn and beans.
There are still more galleries on the upper floors of the Anthropology Museum. I will save them for future trips to Mexico.
A friend of mine has relatives in Oaxaca that we want to make plans to go see but Covid has kept us from making the trip. One of these days we will go and enjoy all the types of Mole there!
ReplyDeleteYes, the food there is great, and there is so much to see in and around Oaxaca. You can easily spend two weeks there. I hope that you get to go there soon!
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