~Jaguar Mask with Milagros~~Mascara Jaguar con Milagros~

"Grrrrr....get in here & find out what you're missing!"says the Jaguar. Hand-carved from avocado wood, covered with magical milagros (miracles), a perfect guardian for your folk art collection.
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So What’s With The Skeletons!?!
   We hear this question all the time. In the rest of North America, bones conjure up fear, are used to scare children, and no good christian-minded soul wants to be reminded of death. Then, here they come to Mexico and find skeleton figures in all the art and artesania shops. There’s even a children’s cartoon named Huesita, or Little Bone. Why?  The answer is complicated, as different cultures tend to be, and Mexico’s culture is complicated indeed. The indigenous people of Mexico were conquered by the Spanish some 500 years ago, but they were not killed off or driven onto reservations. For the most part they were put to work. Over the centuries, the cultures of conqueror and conquered have melded in fascinating ways.   One of these ways is the celebration of Dia de Los Muertos, a two day festival honoring our ancestors. Every year our departed come to visit, to feast and party with the living. The next day all go to the cemetary, where the party continues into the night. Then the living go home, and the dead await the next year. Though the Catholic church was able to move the date of this celebration to coincide with All Saints Day and All Souls Day, this is where Christian influence mostly stops.   It’s good to keep in mind that most of the cultures of Meso America were interrelated, the same ball courts can be found in ruins near Phoenix as are found on the Yucatan peninsula. They also shared their religions. An integral part of that religion was the depiction of many gods as skeletons. Skeletons were considered good luck and were a symbol of fertility, the dicotomy of life. The god Quetzalcoatl was said to have stolen bones from the the god of the underworld to create the different races of mankind. It was believed that the god Mictlantecuhtli and his wife presided over the world of the dead. They are always portrayed as skeletons. This helps to explain the use of skeletons in the Dia de los Muertos celebration, and why we see them so often in ordinary life. In Mexico, bones are simply not something to be afraid of.

Tom Swanson & Marianne Menditto can be reached at  

http://www.ColibriDesignVallarta.com

~LUPITA P' URHEPECHA STYLE~~LUPITA ESTILO P' URHEPECHA~

Greetings, all...just back from a tour of our favorite treasure hunting areas... central and southern Mexico. Lots of work yet to do in the shop, getting everything in it's place.

We're proud to showcase one of our latest finds. SHE IS AWESOME!!! I was soooo excited to find her!!! Another one of the very special ones...a masterpiece in the "Naif" style of the native Michoacan carvers. She stands 22" high, 10" wide, carved from a well cured Michoacan pine slab 4" thick.

She's even more beautiful in person...come by and adore her. She is at Calle Aldama #190, between Juarez & Morelos in colonia Centro, Puerto Vallarta.

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Saludos a todos...acabamos de llegar desde un tour de nuestros lugares favoritos para buscar tesoros...el centro y el sur de Mexico. Tenemos mucho trabajo en la tienda, todavia para poner todos en sus lugares.

Tenemos mucho orgullo en presentando uno de nuestros  mas recientes hallazgos. ¡¡¡ ELLA ES ASOMBROSA!!! ¡¡¡Yo fui taaaaanto emocionada de encontrar la!!! Una otra cosa muy, pero muy especial...una maestra en el estilo "Naif" de los grabadores indigenas de Michoacan. Ella tiene 55cm de altura, 25cm de anchura, grabada de una tabla de Pino Michoacano, bien secado que tiene 10cm de grosor.

Ella es aun mas hermosa en persona...ven a ver para adorar la. Ella esta en Calle Aldama #190, entre Juarez y Morelos en col. Centro, Puerto Vallarta.

~MAGIC...HAND CARVED~~MAGIA...GRABADO A MANO~

This was one of those great finds that you wish for on every buying trip. We bought this one in 2006 for "Casa La Piña". I imagine this beautiful architectural detail as having been part of a sign for a juice bar. It's quite old & hand carved of very hard Mexican pine, a slab 5 inches thick...wow!

We found it in Michoacan. They still do a lot of similar work there, but now days it's mostly of High Density Fiber Board. It resists warping and of course it's not so thick, so it's lighter. The wood grain is not an issue to be dealt with and they can use electric grinding and sanding tools. It makes for some very beautiful and practical furniture. There's plenty of that in "Casa La Piña" as well.

I'm posting some pictures on our sister blog "Azulejos Colibri", of the fanciful tile work there. Some of this furniture makes it's way into the act also.


http://www.azulejoscolibri.blogspot.com

~EXTERIOR VIEW~~VISTA EXTERIOR~

                     OUTSIDE OF THE "THEATRE" SHOWING THE DOOR-STOP HOLDER

~DETAIL SHOT~~FOTO del DETAILLE~

                                   
                                         A CLOSE-UP OF THEIR PLAYBILL.

~STAR PINEAPPLE~~PIñA ESTRELLA~

A ceramic pineapple in the mid stages of creation. La señora Laura had it slow curing beneath a old shirt. Imagine my thrill as she rolled it up to reveal this special beauty! Their creativity is so amazing! How do they keep thinking them up?They work every day in their shady courtyard studio. I'm reminded of several quotes about inspiration..."Don't wait for inspiration. It comes while one is working."~Henri Matisse. From Johannes Brahms~"Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind." This innovation, dedication & craftsmanship is what makes the Hernandez Cerrano family number one in our Piña loving hearts.

~ENCHANTING SHAWL~~REBOZO ENCANTADOR~

Another example of 'Love Incarnate' and the richness that infuses the daily lives of the wonderful artisans and their family members. Notice the adorable 'animalitos' inhabiting this beautiful cross-stitched wool rebozo from Michoacan. It's handwoven wool with cross-stiched designs. very snuggly & comfey. I've even worn mine here in Vallarta, enjoying my morning cup on the deck, watching sunrise color our world.

~TZITZIKI~~FLOWER of the FOREST~

This serene image, captured in a corner of the Hernandez Cerrano family workshop. Proud piña makers, now 3 generations strong. Their workshop has a registered trademark. It's called Tzitziki, a Pur' hepechan word that means "Flower of the Forest". They've also constructed a community Museum/Showcase in their courtyard, where visitors can see enormous award winning pieces from years gone by.

~FORBIDDEN FRUIT~~FRUTA PROHIBIDA~

These Piñas and Piggy were part of a special order to be shipped to the USA, so we couldn't have any!!! The sheaf of corn is a new design. So spectacular! Oohh, I was so jealous! The Piggy!!! Words fail. But, OWWWWCCHH!!! Do you see the broken upper rim on the upper left?!?

~DIVINE PINEAPPLE~~PIñA DIVINA~

This is one of the famous "Piñas de Barro", clay pineapples from Michoacan. There are many Pineapple crafters in the small town of San Jose de Gracias, Michoacan. Our favorites come from the workshop named "Tsitsiki", a Pur'hepechan word meaning "Flower of the Forest". The family of Pedro Hernandez Carlos, 3 generations, work their magic hands to produce these exquisite pieces. They are accomplished by a combination of molds and hand work. The details are all by hand. They are a wonder to watch in action. Consistent prize-winners and innovators, they set the high bar for their fellow craftsmen of the town. This is an example of one of their prize-winning designs.

Every time we visit them, I wander in awe, through the various work stations and drying areas they have set up for each of the stages of production. I want them ALL!!! This last visit, only 2 weeks ago, we got a preview of some new styles they're working on. The family is SO amazingly creative. And there are all sizes, from tiny to gigantic.

In the next few posts, I'll be showing pics from the workshop...get ready to swoon!!!