Hand made Amate paper ceremonial dolls. Bob Freund 4/11/2005 Return to home page For more information contact: info@mexicantextiles.com

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Sierra Otomí Religious Symbolism: Mankind Responding to the Natural World.2003 about the author © 2003 Professor James Dow,All Rights Reserved

a_birdsfighting
Birds are messengers of the goings on.
a_corn1
corn and other seed spirits are used during planting
a_devil_president
The president of hell

( a bad guy)

a_senora de monte
The goddess of the mountian

( she can help the shaman help you)

The Otomi Indian are the fifth largest ethnic group in Mexico, they are dispersed over a five state area. Some Otomi pueblos are located deep in a remote region know as the Hausteca. These villages still retain a strong sense of traditional beliefs and customs. Their world is filled with a pantheon of invisible spirits,good and evil, which affect every aspect of life. They hold Zaki ( life forces) and Na Xudi the ( shadow side)of all things. Many events from building a house, death, arguments with neighbors, successful harvests or even love, are explained by the presence of the spirits. The shaman use beautiful paper dolls (Dahi) cut from handmade amate paper to represent and manipulate these forces. They conduct cleansings, healings and "costumbres" ( ritual ceremonies) with the "Dahi" to protect the villagers. These figures are representations of these "spirits " cut in San Pablito , State of Puebla.
amamte paper plain
amamte paper plain.jpg
amatemaking1
dried bark from Amatal tree
amatemaking2
Bark is stripped
amatemaking3
soaked to softed it.
amatemaking3a
Boiled
amatemaking3b
The pulled into strings
amatemaking4
string are laid out on a board
amatemaking3c
and pounded into paper
amatemaking4a
Pounding the bark into paper
amatemaking5
Afer it is dried, it used for many crafts, hwoever the figures are only cut by a limited number of men.
amatemaking6
amatemaking6.jpg
amatemaking7
amatemaking7.jpg