~CATRINAS & BUTTERFLIES~CATRINAS y MARIPOSAS~

~THINGS WE LOVE~COSAS QUE  ENCANTAMOS~

The imagery surrounding Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is quite fascinating. IT TEEMS WITH LIFE! Butterflies, birds, flowers, dance, food and drink...the list goes on...all our favorite things in life are remembered tenderly, enjoyed fervently.
Actually two days...Nov.1 & 2. The 1st is for 'los angelitos' the children, the 2nd is for the adults, when the fiesta really cranks up!
Remembering those who have gone on before us...with humor, with love. Sharing their visions and re-affirming what they've taught us. We re-evaluate our own lives through them, on these two  days every year. Every year on these two days they come back to visit us. How beautiful that is...no...it's not about Death, it's about Resurrection!

~TASTOAN MASK~MASCARA TASTOAN~

The festival of the Tastoanes commemorates the Battle of Tonala, an Indian revolt that ocurred after the Spanish conquered & occupied the old kingdom Tonaltecas. The present day suburb of Guadalajara named Tonala. The Indian queen, Cihualpilli had received the Spanish with open arms & willingly converted to Catholicism, but a group of Indians less enamored with the European invaders & their religion had other ideas. They banded together with members of other conquered tribes & rebelled. A fierce & bloody battle ensued, with many casualties on both sides. Eventually, the Spanish horsemen were victorious. As the legend goes, when the native rebellion was put down, the survivors were turned into grotesque monsters~~Tastoanes. Much of the allegory of the festival echoes the religious significance of this legend... One of the principal Tastoan characters is Barrabas & St. James (Santiago) is the patron saint of the event, as he is considered to the patron saint of the Spanish Conquest. Santiago is mounted on a white horse fighting against the masked Tastoanes. The martyred Saint dies, is resurrected, wins the battle & converts the defeated Tastoanes to Christianity!
This mask was worn by a dancer during the ritual fight July 25th 2010. It is said to have been "jugada" or "played". Until very recently, most of the dancers, who make the masks themselves, would soak them in water & strip them back down to the plain leather base after the festival, thus allowing the spirit of the Tastoan to be released. This accounts for the rarity of this particular mask. The base is of leather, the figures in relief are ceramic, the wig is horsetail, the teeth from several coyotes~

                                                     

~OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE~Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe~

                   ~TONANTZIN~
                   The Earth Mother

              HER CHURCH IN PV

            CELEBRATED IT'S 90th

           BIRTHDAY 12 OCT. 2011



This is one of the very most beautiful
Lupita Murals I've ever seen.
We're so fortunate to have found it this summer in San Miguel de Allende.
We have a couple of smaller ones available also, by a different artist.

Ceramic tile is one of my specialties. I love murals of all kinds....cut, broken or painted!!!
We always have some in stock.
I do order them, from 3 trusted sources, but usually prefer to rely on my "personal search karma".

NEW TREASURE!~~¡TESORO NUEVO!

~~WHAT A WONDERFUL BLESSING WE RECIEVED YESTERDAY!~~ This is one of two Huichol ceremonial drinking gourds or 'Bules'~~This one depicting the Shaman (Mara'akame) on his reed seat, conducting the ceremony honoring the corn. There are many symbols depicted all around the gourd, even on the bottom...the deer, the corn, (shown). Some other symbols on it are the Mara'akame's drum & staff with Eagle feathers. It rests on a ceramic, yarn-wrapped ring made by Mata Ortiz potters for their 'ollas'.

WE KISS JOVA GOODBYE!~~¡DECIMOS ADIOS A JOVA!

Taken from our apartment balcony Wed. evening, 12 Oct, 2011
No color enhancement needed!
Jova was kind to us, here in Vallarta. No wind, just gentle soaking rains. Our southern neighbors were not so lucky. It definitely could have been worse, but there were several deaths and waist deep water in Manzanillo and surrounding beach towns. It reminds me to value the time I'm given.

¡VIVA CATRINAS!~~HURRAH CATRINAS!

               ¡Zapata y Novia son vendidos!         ¡Danzante vendida!

ORIGINAL TILE SIGN~~STILL IN SONORA

My original design. Handcut. Mounted on Hardi-backer. Very heavy. I sure miss it! 
This beloved symbol of our gallery, our 10 years of travelling Mexico, gathering her treasures to grace the lives of our many friends at her northern border in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora. Times and tides change, and so we find ourselves transported to a new location. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco is our new home!