Arts and Crafts of Mexico presents an overview of the rich tradition of crafts and folk art in Mexico today. Crafts are an essential component of an everyday life still dominated by religion. More than four and a half centuries after the conquest of Mexico by Spain, there are approximately 60 Indian peoples living in Mexico, with an estimated population of around 12 million, or 15 per cent of the total. Indigenous Indian peoples mentioned in this book, classified by language groups, are detailed in the reference section at the end of the book. Details are given of known numbers of speakers, religious traditions and involvement with crafts. Catholicism has fused with many native religious traditions, and festivities and religious ceremonies remain a key aspect of Mexican life.
Mexico’s varying geography has provided for the range of raw materials needed for house building and the making of everyday objects for living, such as clothing, pots, baskets and other objects. Although these direct descendants of the Aztec and Maya are no longer building pyramids or painting codices, many motifs used in ceramics or textile design show continuity with the past. Religious imagery, ancient history and a fascination with death are recurring motifs, all of which lend a spiritual dimension to the making and use of crafts.
The book focuses on: textile arts; jewellery and adornment; ceramics; other crafts, such as basket making and bone carving; toys and miniatures; and ceremonial and ephemeral arts. Richly illustrated with wonderful colour photographs and black and white illustrations, this book shows how the fusion of old traditions with new forms and techniques has contributed to a very rich and exuberant folk art, very much alive and at the forefront of popular culture today. The author also advises the reader on how to collect folk art and suggests, in particular, going to local markets. This is a well researched book, presenting a vivid portrait of the Mexican people and their lifestyles, which is likely to appeal to anyone with an interest in folk art and Mexico in particular.
