Alejandro and I were downtown on Saturday, and we had some time to kill before meeting a friend for dinner. I had seen that the Museum of Popular Arts was having a special exhibit on "amate" paper, so we went inside to see it. ("Amate" paper is made from the bark of the fig tree, and has been used since pre-Hispanic times.) Unfortunately, I did not read the description of the exhibit. I was expecting a display of the beautiful and intricate folk art that is painted on the paper. Instead, the exhibit was the work of an artist who creates abstract sculptures from "amate" paper. Not really my cup of tea.
However, our visit to the museum was not entirely fruitless. In the courtyard there were several giant-sized versions of traditional Mexican handicrafts.
Here one of the rag dolls typical of the town of Amealco in the state of Querétaro is recreated on a monumental scale using papier mache.
This colorful replica of a hot air balloon is made of wicker. It comes from Tequisquiapan, also in the state of Querétaro, a town known for its wicker handicrafts.
One of my favorite pottery makers is Cerámica Servín. Here is a gigantic version of a decanter done it Servin's distinctive style.
This Nativity scene is made from "ixtle", a fiber from a variety of agave plant that has been used in Mexico since ancient times.
In the courtyard, there is usually has one of the "alebrijes" from the parades which the museum sponsors every Octubre. The "alebrijes" are colorful, fantastical animals made from papier mache.
The museum has already announced the date for this year's parade... October 18th... and we are looking forward to it.
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