Indigenous Art of Mexico

Earlier this week I went downtown to the Palace of Fine Arts to see a special exhibit on the art of the indigenous peoples of Mexico.

I arrived shortly before 11:00 when the Palace opens their doors, and there was a long line outside waiting to enter.  Fortunately the line moved fairly quickly.  The exhibit is in its final days; it will end this weekend.  It displays a variety of works by indigenous peoples created in the 20th century.

Here are a few of the items in the exhibit...

These clay vessels, polished with beeswax come from the state of Puebla.

A woolen sack made by an artisan from the Otomí tribe in the state of Hidalgo

To the left, a jar for "pulque", a traditional alcoholic beverage made from the juice of the maguey plant. It comes from Metepec in the State of México, a town famous for its clay figures.

To the right, a candelabra modeled from clay from the Purépecha people of the state of Michoacán.

Another "pulque" jar from Metepec

Embroidered fabric made by a member of the Mazahua tribe in the State of México

These clay figurines done by a Zapotec woman from the state of Oaxaca are humorously titiled "Self Portrait with My Husband".

An enormous clay candelabra from the state of Puebla

This "huipil", a traditional garment worn by many indigenous women, comes from the Tlalpaneca people of the state of Guerrero.

A lacquerware tray from the Purépecha people of the state of Michoacán

A very large basket woven by the Seri tribe from the northern state of Sonora

A wooden carving of a bird, also by the Seri people

A example of the yarn paintings done by the Huichol tribe in the states of Jalisco and Nayarit.  

Colored yarn is applied to a wooden board with wax to create a picture depicting their mythology.

A male figure modeled from clay by a member of the Nahua tribe from the state of Guerrero

This "quechquemitl", a traditional women's garment, was woven by an Otomí artisan from the mountains of northern Puebla. 

The exhibit was interesting, although I must say that it was not the best that I have seen.  Those who do not speak Spanish would be at a disadvantage since none of the descriptions are written in English.  Everything is in Spanish, and, interestingly, in indigenous languages.