Mexican Folk Arts & Crafts Culture

Significance

• Much of what is experienced in the modern world has been influenced by the arts and crafts of the Mexican culture. Piñatas, glassware, silverware, design motifs, chocolate, and masks all bear signs of having been influenced by a folk arts and crafts culture that continues to grow and share its treasures.
  
  

Types

• The complex and intertwined peoples of Mexico have created a tradition of folk arts and crafts that includes textiles and rugs, pottery and ceramics, metal works in tin and copper, wood carving, leather crafting, jewelry, masks, and lacquerware to name but some.
  
  

Geography

• Mexican art and its culture extend far beyond its borders. In West Visayas, Philippines, the influence can be seen in the country's coins, food, and religious icons. According to Attorney Rex S. Savilla of newstoday.info, the greatest influence came in the form of food and economics, but most of the people in West Visayas may not be aware of it. Mexico influences other countries of the world as well through its jewelry, leather goods and intricate pieces of metal work.
  
  

Features

• Masks from the Mexican culture are made of various materials such as wood, gourds, papier-mâché, leather and clay, and are often used in dances to depict aspects of Mexican history. Many of the masks are faces of supernatural entities and animals taken from Mexico folklore.
  Pottery is one of the oldest forms of Mexican folk art. Originally, the pottery was hand made out of clay that was then fired at a low temperature. According to sources at hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu, in many areas of Mexico, women were responsible for making everyday ware, known as la loza corriente, while men worked on more elaborate pieces. Mexican pottery is usually decorated with colorful painted motifs.
  The textiles weaving is an age-old tradition in Mexico that has retained a lot of its original methodology. While man-made fibers and dyes have been introduced into the country, much of the handwork is done as it was ages ago. Popular articles of clothing in the Mexican culture include shoulder capes called quechquemitl, sleeved tunics called huipils, rectangular shawls called rebozos, and blanket capes called sarapes, which are among some of the most beautiful and colorful textile articles in Latin America, and considered a national symbol of Mexico.
  
  

Considerations

• Celebrations and holidays are also important parts of Mexican culture, and cultural fervor is evident in all of its folk arts and crafts. From painted gourds, baskets and glass beads to jewelry and metal work, the important aspects of Mexican life are kept alive by their incorporation into the many pieces of folk arts and crafts that are produced every day in Mexico.