I know I just got back from London, but we had a family reunion last week in sunny Mexico!
I couldn’t resist mixing a little bit of business with my pleasure, so I visited some handcraft shops to see that Mexican artists are making. While I know that they make a lot to sell to tourists, many of the techniques are traditional.
I made you a video!
And now here are the photos of my treasures….
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Diane says
Great choices – loved the video. The beadwork in beeswax is also probably Huichol in origin. I wonder if the star door was so that you could put a candle inside? I bet that would look amazing, maybe safer with one of those little battery tea lights.
Thanks!
barb macaskill says
Awesome!! You are a traveling maniac lately!!! Wish I could fly just once! I have always wanted to but never gone anywhere that needed flying to get there!! Maybe one day! Looks like yoy had a great time and got lots of great goodies!!! TFS!
Georgia Browne says
It appears that you were on the west coast of Mexico. Have you ever visited Oaxaca in the south? I prefer the crafts there more. There are hand woven rugs in Teotitlan del valle and you can watch them being made and, if you have a sketch or an idea of what you want made and the colors that you want, they will make it for you and then send it to you safely. I did that and it took about $3500, took about 4 weeks. The size was 8×10′.
There is an area within driving distance of Oaxaca named Arrazola and the painted animals that you showed are made there and they are very very inexpensive.
Lastly, talented potters and sculptors of Oaxaca, Mexico create barro negro, literally translated as “black mud” pottery that is adored by people around the world. This black clay ceramic pottery is made in the area of San Bartolo De Coyotepec, and the special properties of this region’s clay cannot be found anywhere else.
There is so much talent in and around Oaxaca it worth a trip and marvel at not only the historic sites and architectural sites, but the marvelous work of the Mexicans.
Georgia Browne says
I forgot to tell you, two weeks ago I returned from Myanmar (Burma) and the crafts there are to die for. Myanmar came out of the ‘dark ages’ three years ago and tourism was very sparse. The Burmese are very happy to see tourists, especially Americans for their dollar, and they are so very friendly to see us. They have not been ‘spoiled’ as the rest of the Far East has become. It is a safe country. I walked around in the evening without a problem. In fact, it is like VietNam – few traffic lights and difficult to cross a busy street. I was trying one afternoon and cars and motor scooters were going every which way. Four guys on scooters drove up to me and said: can we help you? They stopped the traffic – two in each direction – and helped me cross the street. Is that nice or what?
Anyway, the crafts that you can purchase there are: jade (real in the factory in the North), woven scarves, wooden puppets, woven purses with zippers, leather flip-flops, ruby stones and sapphire stones (but they are expensive), great longyis, fabric. There are so many hand crafted things that you can buy. Mostly though, the people are so nice, the Country so beautiful, the food terrific, the accommodations good, no bugs and a very relaxing experience. Just don’t drink the water !!
Sharon says
I would love to see a little battery-operated tea light, or a Christmas light, in the stars.
Jenny says
The opening is barely big enough for my thumb, let alone a tea light. 🙂