Mexican Handicraft And Folk Art (2nd Ed)

[Music] Mexico City is the modern capital of a busy Nation a land with a rich mixture of traditions hundreds of years before any European settled in the New World there were Advanced civilizations flourishing here in Mexico but the Spaniards who conquered the Indians in the 16th century brought a new civilization a new religion and new styles of art today the Mexican culture is a blend of many elements including both the Indian and Spanish traditions throughout Mexico this blend can be seen in the wide variety of arts and handcrafts handcrafts such as Pottery are displayed for sale in every Mexican city there are painters who work in glaze on tiles there are sculptors who carve and polish small animals from a soft stone called onx there are women making brocades and embroideries there are children who are helping to turn out many kinds of products such as this Fringe work Shaw there are a tremendous number of Craftsmen and artists producing an enormous variety of goods from Toys to housewares from copies of classic statuary to rep replicas of ancient Indian Pottery in this city Studio an artist is carving a modern portrait into a wooden panel but there are also many villages throughout Mexico where artists such as this Indian woman are working in the most ancient techniques and traditions to produce equally Fine Results this young Potter is making ceramic wear with one of the oldest of all techniques the coil method first he shapes the bottom then he makes long rolls which he will coil onto the foundation he winds each core oil around the pot and then works the new clay together with the old a very large vase or Bowl can be constructed in this way when the clay has dried to a leathery hardness it is given a final smoothing and shaping with this small tool then handles are added to complete the design and make the pot easier to use this is not simply a decorative Bowl but a piece of kitchen wear which some housewife will use in preparing her meals now the pot is fired to make it hard and waterproof after it has been fired it is ready to be taken to Market and sold here is another Village Potter preparing her clay by kneading it to make it smooth from this she will slowly fashion a pot first she shapes the clay and then pounds it into a hollow cylinder she begins to thin down the cylinder walls and force them into the shape she wants with this primitive wheel she continues to enlarge the cylinder and thin its walls now the final form of the pot takes shape as a neck is added water is used to make the neck pliable and to smooth the surface pots made in this way have been used here in Mexico since prehistoric times finally this one will be glazed and fired weaving is another of the traditional household handcrafts which is still carried on in many parts of Mexico the women of this Village are using ancient backstrap looms to produce exquisitely Fine Fabrics this art has been passed down from mother to daughter for thousands of years and weaving is still an important part of the economy of many villages like this one even yarn and thread are still made by hand in some Mexican villages the fibers are carded or straightened then they are twisted together to form a single strand of yarn spinning is also practiced in this open air rug Factory after the yarn is spun it is woven on an upright Loom the kind that was introduced to Mexico by the Spaniards many of the finest textiles in Mexico are still turned out on looms like these these Woolen rugs are good examples of the elaborate and colorful designs which are common here although Mexico is industrializing rapidly a large proportion of its manufactured goods still comes out out of small workshops these men are making steel knives the metal is heated in this crude furnace while one of the men forces air in with a hand Bellows then the steel is forged by hand the steel must be heated and hammered and cooled many times a great deal of Mexican handcraft is still devoted to producing utilitarian objects such as building materials this man is making bricks in a mold after they have been dried in the sun they will be baked hard in a kiln another worker is making roof tiles he shapes them in a form and then rounds them before setting them out to dry tiles and bricks made in this way are Standard Building Materials in many parts of Mexico but there are also many Mexican craftsmen who produce jewelry and other luxuries here small charms are being Stamped Out for a necklace or bracelet this Craftsman is forming a sand mold in which he will cast a silver face the face to be cast was copied from one found in the ruins of an ancient Indian tomb when the mold is complete molten silver is poured in when the silver hardens it is removed from the mold and cleaned this face like most of the other arts and crafts reflects the rich Heritage of Mexico throughout the land these arts and handcrafts are being practiced from the smallest villages to the largest and most Cosmopolitan cities the blend of Spanish and Indian traditions is [Music] everywhere this building at the University of Mexico is decorated with murals in which this blend can be seen in its most sophisticated form the mixed history of Mexico is alive in the most simple crafts and the most magnificent works of [Music] art