Whether for Christmas gifts or mementos of your visit to Mazatlán, shopping for Mexican handicrafts can be a dazzling experience with much to choose from. Handicrafts are often born of traditional religious or indigenous ceremonies and beliefs. To help you in your search, below is a history of some of the more popular Mexican crafts available throughout Mazatlán. Huichol Bead & Yarn Work The intricate bead and yarn work of the reclusive Huichol Indians of the Sierras around Tepic are a colorful combination of religious expression and folk art. Applying a thin layer of beeswax to a gourd or wooden form, the artist meticulously presses brightly colored beads or yarn into the wax to create symbolic designs of sacred spirits. Deer, toads, serpents, pumas and wolves represent for the Huichol spirit guides. And as peyote plays an important part in their religious ceremonies, the designs often incorporate the peyote flower. The Huichol Ojo de Dios, or Eye of God, although simple in design, is a powerful talisman crafted by the father for his child. The central eye is woven when the baby is born. Each subsequent year until the child is five years old, one more eye is added. Original Ojos de Dios are difficult to find, but many replicas are available on the market for tourists. Talavera Clay Pottery Prior to the Spanish conquistadors arriving in Mexico, Mexican potters were accomplished in making pottery for daily use, such as plates or bowls. But it was Spanish monks in Puebla who introduced them to the potter´s wheel and use of glaze. The monks, it seems, wished to decorate their monasteries and churches with decorative tiles as they had done in Spain. To this end, they imported craftsmen from Talavera de la Reina to teach indigenous potters in the skill. Eventually, a Potter´s Guild was formed in Puebla which established guidelines to ensure the quality of the pottery. Included in the guidelines were: • each potter must sign his work • the color blue was to be used on the finest ceramics, and • to become a master potter, the craftsman must pass exams As time and Talavera pottery evolved, more colors were added to the mix. Today, authentic Talavera pieces, with the name of the workshop and word “Puebla” on the underside, are quite expensive. Lesser quality pottery pieces imitating Talavera are available at reasonable prices and include everything from decorative

dishes to wall switch plates. In recent years concerns have been expressed concerning the lead content of the blue dye used in both the original Talavera and imitation pottery. Steps have been taken to rectify the situation. Check the base of bowls, cups and plates to see if they are marked as lead-free. Milagro Cross Milagros, while they translate to “miracles” in English, are in fact small silver, gold or tin symbols offered to favorite saints in petition for an intervention, or in thanks for answering a prayer. An important aspect of Mexico´s folk traditions, the milagro originated with the Iberians of Spanish coastal towns where they can still be found in archeological museums. Each milagro is representative of the specific request made. Some of the more common milagros are the heart (representing health or romantic worries), arm (arthritis, strength, ability to work), praying woman or man (faithfulness, fervency), house (blessings, safe return of a traveler) or a hen, a very powerful symbol evoking fertility or the concept of motherhood. It is also common for people to carry milagros blessed by a curandero, or spiritual healer, as a shield against bad fortune or cure for a physical ailment. Alebrijes One of the few Mexican crafts originating solely from a single artist´s vision are the whimsical papier maché animals, dragons, and flying creatures decorated in brilliant, colored patterns called Alebrijes. In the 1930s, Mexico City papier maché artist Pedro Linares was eking out a living making piñatas and carnival mask when he fell ill, experiencing a life-changing dream in which he envisioned phantasmagorical creatures. He began to re-create these creatures, which he called Alebrijes, in papier maché and in the process revolutionized this particular form of Mexican Folk Art. His work soon became recognized earning him Mexico´s National Prize for Popular Arts and Traditions. The very similar wood sculptures of Oaxacan Manuel Jimenez are often also called alebrijes. Although they share fanciful subjects and brilliant colors, they are made of cedar and other hardwoods using machetes and carving knives. Collectors who wish to purchase the original designs by Linares or Jimenez will pay a pretty penny. The good news is lesser known folk artists are now producing the figures for a fraction of the cost and alebrijes are available throughout Mazatlán.