What is the Significance of Hands in Mexican Folk Art?
Posted: July 18, 2013 Filed under: Jewelry, Mexican Crafts, Mexican Earrings, Mexican Folk Art, Mexican Style, Mexico, Religious Folk Art, Unique gifts & Jewelry, Zinnia Folk Arts Shop | Tags: Alpaca, Folk Art, Frida Kahlo, handmade, mexican artisans, Mexican crafts, Mexican folk art, Mexican jewelry, mexican style, Milagros, Religious folk art, religious iconography, traditional folk art Comments Off on What is the Significance of Hands in Mexican Folk Art?One of the most frequent questions I’m asked in the shop is, “What is the significance of the hand in Mexico?”
Hand motifs do appear in many pieces of jewelry and religious iconography from Mexico and though there is no absolute answer to the question, here are a few ideas.
One of the most obvious answers is that the hand is so important to all of us in terms of making things (hand-made), performing, communicating, praying (especially when 90% of the country is Catholic) and in making us human. This is just as true in Mexico as it is in other places. The heart in the hand (another common image in Mexico) is a traditional folk art motif, associated with the Shakers, the Amish, and the Pennsylvania Dutch. It is widely considered to symbolize charity, or to mean something is “from the heart”. Others consider it to represent friendship, love and truth.
The hand motif in Mexican jewelry probably increased after Pablo Picasso’s gift of the silver hand-shaped earrings to Frida Kahlo in the 1930’s or 40’s. She painted herself in them and many nicho boxes and retablos created around Frida’s image contain those famous paintings. Some Mexican artisans make beautiful hand-shaped earrings.
Here are a few pieces we currently have in the shop that can give you an idea…
Contact us for this lovely wooden hand covered on one side with milagros. It is $58 and measures 7″ by 4.35″ wide.
This beautiful and amazing carved hand is covered on both sides with milagros. It costs $166 and measures 10.5″ tall by 4.5″ wide.
SUMMER SALE at Zinnia Mexican Folk Arts!
Posted: June 29, 2013 Filed under: .925 SIlver, Jewelry, Mexican Crafts, Mexican Earrings, Mexican Jewelry, Mexican silver jewelry, Mexican Textiles, Silver jewelry from Mexico, Textiles, Zinnia Folk Arts Shop | Tags: Jewelry, textile Comments Off on SUMMER SALE at Zinnia Mexican Folk Arts!It’s Summer and time for a sale! These pieces can all be found in the online shop, right here, and everything in these photos and a few other things are 25% OFF! Just enter the code, “Summer25” at the checkout…Check in the Jewelry, Textile, Religious, Mask and Whimsical Sections. If the item is there, it’s still available.
Silver Mexican Earrings Made by the Mazahua
Posted: March 6, 2013 Filed under: .925 SIlver, Jewelry, Mexican Folk Art, Mexican Jewelry, Mexican silver jewelry, Silver jewelry from Mexico | Tags: Mazahua, Mexican folk art, Mexican jewelry, Mexican silver, mexican style, silver earrings Comments Off on Silver Mexican Earrings Made by the MazahuaThere are some amazing silver artisans in the Mazahua area of Mexico, northwest of Mexico City. They have been making earrings for a very long time. They were deeply influenced by the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the 1500’s. When Spanish women arrived in Mexico they brought many new jewelry styles but in particular a style of earring that was crescent-shaped (arracada) and often wrapped in silver or gold. These styles took root in Mexican silver jewelry making and continue to this day.
One Mazahua silversmith told the author of an article on Mazahua earrings in Artes de Mexico, the meaning of the silver earrings. He said, “The stones symbolize the bright star that comes out at around four or five in the morning. The doves represent the husband going out into the fields to work, and his wife getting up to make atole. The flowers and leaves refer to the countryside, to nature. And the lines are the rays of the Sun.”
When the artisans learn to make these intricate earrings, they practice on less expensive metals such as copper and brass. Once they master the technique, they start using silver wire and silver sheets. To this day the elder artisans teach the younger. Unfortunately, not as many young people are so interested in carrying on the tradition. Like so many types of folk art, the Mazahua earring is at risk of dying out.
All of these earrings are .925 or 92.5% silver. Click on the photograph and you will be taken to the website. If you get a message saying, “This product is no longer available” that means they have been sold. So hurry!
Beaded Huichol Easter Eggs And Bracelets
Posted: March 2, 2013 Filed under: Folk Art, Huichol, Jewelry | Tags: handmade, huichol indians, Mexican crafts, Mexican folk art, Mexican jewelry, mexican style Comments Off on Beaded Huichol Easter Eggs And Bracelets
The Huichol Indians of Nayarit, Mexico are amazingly skilled at beading. Here’s a shot of a few eggs that I have in the shop at the moment. The eggs are carved out of wood, then covered in a thin coat of beeswax, then decorated bead-by-bead. Truly lovely. Not available in the online shop because there are so few but if you’re interested in them, send me a note on the form below. They are $16 for the small and $21 for the large.
And below, is a photo of the amazing beadwork that goes into the bracelets. They move like liquid. Incredibly gorgeous. These are the last two Huichol bracelets I have at the moment and they are available right here.
New Mexican Silver Jewelry from Taxco And Other Places!
Posted: October 16, 2012 Filed under: .925 SIlver, Guatemala, Huichol, Jewelry, Mexican Crafts, Mexican Earrings, Mexican Folk Art, Mexican Jewelry, Mexican silver jewelry, Silver jewelry from Mexico, Unique gifts & Jewelry | Tags: Arracada, handmade, Mazahua lovebirds, Mexican crafts, Mexican folk art, Mexican jewelry, Mexican silver, Mexican Silver Earrings, Mexican Silver Jewelry, silver earrings Comments Off on New Mexican Silver Jewelry from Taxco And Other Places!
Ok, it’s not ALL Mexican jewelry. The bead bracelets are from Guatemala–a very nice young man stopped in the shop with some beautiful bead work bracelets and I bought a few to see how they would sell. They are available right here. But if you’re looking for even nicer bead bracelets from Mexico, the handwork of the Huichol Indians is (in my mind) unsurpassed. Those exquisite and super liquid-y designs are right here but not in the above photo.
The slightly more contemporary designs of a Oaxacan arracada (bottom left corner and top right corner) are from another person who dropped into the shop, a Mexican-American woman visiting Minneapolis from Los Angeles. They are .925 silver and are beautiful. Fancy but not over the top. Those are available right here.
The lavender sachet is lovely and I bought a bunch of them in Guanajuato. They are embroidered and then some old Mexican coins are attached at the corner. Lovely gifts available here.
In the middle right box are a pair of Mazahua earrings with kissing lovebirds and a single drop. They are from just outside Mexico City and are a tried and true every day earring. The kissing birds are very typical of Mazahua earrings and they represent love, peace and serenity. Available here.
All of the others I purchased on my last trip to Mexico in Taxco. Some are traditional motifs and some are a twist on the traditional. One of them is an Aztec design combined with dangles to make a more contemporary earring. They are all sterling silver and they are all for pierced ears. Click on the following to find them:
Filigree Dangle, Upper left corner
Winged Birds with Dangles, Upper Middle (contact me, I forgot to put them on the website)
Oxidized Silver Sacred Hearts, Middle left
Aztec Motif with Dangles, Lower Middle
As always if you have any questions, please contact me below!
Saludos, Anne
Handmade Silver Jewelry from Mexico
Posted: August 19, 2012 Filed under: .925 SIlver, Jewelry, Mexican Crafts, Mexican Earrings, Mexican Jewelry, Mexican Style, Unique gifts & Jewelry | Tags: handmade, Mexican crafts, Mexican jewelry, Mexican silver, silver earrings Comments Off on Handmade Silver Jewelry from Mexico
Here are a few photos of our latest shipment of silver beauties from Mexico. Some of these pieces can be purchased from the website. If you’re interested in the others you can send me an email with an inquiry.
All of them are in the shop at 826 West 50th, Minneapolis, MN…612-824-4342…Gracias!
Grand Opening of New Mexican Folk Art Shop in Minneapolis!
Posted: May 3, 2012 Filed under: .925 SIlver, Clay Ceramics, Day of the Dead, Folk Art, Frida Kahlo, Jewelry, Masks, Mexican Folk Art, Mexican Style, Milagros, Ocumicho, Paper Mache, Religious Folk Art, Sugar Skulls, Talavera, Textiles, The Shop, Tree of Life, Unique gifts & Jewelry, Virgin of Guadalupe, Wood Carvings, Zinnia Folk Arts Shop | Tags: Ceramics, Day of the Dead, handmade, Josefina Aguilar, Margarita Fick, Masks, Mexican ceramics, Mexican folk art, Mexican jewelry, Oaxaca, paper mache, Religious folk art, sugar skulls, Textiles, Virgin of Guadalupe Comments Off on Grand Opening of New Mexican Folk Art Shop in Minneapolis!
New Mexican Silver and Alpaca Jewelry
Posted: February 11, 2012 Filed under: .925 SIlver, Jewelry, Mexican Earrings, Mexican Folk Art, Mexican Jewelry, Unique gifts & Jewelry | Tags: Alpaca, Frida Kahlo, handmade, Mexican jewelry, Mexican silver, Virgin of Guadalupe Comments Off on New Mexican Silver and Alpaca Jewelry
Click on the photo or here to read more!
Free Shipping on Mexican Jewelry through Jan 8 For Zinnia Folk Arts Facebook Fans!
Posted: January 5, 2012 Filed under: .925 SIlver, Jewelry, Mexican Jewelry | Tags: .925 Silver, Alpaca, handmade, Mexican jewelry, Mexican silver, mexican style, Oaxaca, Taxco Comments Off on Free Shipping on Mexican Jewelry through Jan 8 For Zinnia Folk Arts Facebook Fans!January special for Facebook fans only!
Become a fan on our Zinnia Folk Arts facebook page and you’ll enjoy free shipping on jewelry purchases over $50
between now and Sunday, January 8.
Remember, some pieces are one of a kind so first come, first serve…
Check out what’s available right here!
Unique Gifts? We’ve got them! Where? Zinnia Folk Arts at GUILD
Posted: December 16, 2011 Filed under: Christmas, Jewelry, Mexican Earrings, Mexican Holidays, Mexican Jewelry, Milagros, Navidad, Religious Folk Art, Santos | Tags: Christmas, GUILD Collective, handmade, Josefina Aguilar, Mexican ceramics, Mexican dishes, Mexican folk art, Mexican holidays, Mexican jewelry, Mexican silver, Navidad, Ornaments, Religious folk art, Textiles, Wood Carvings Comments Off on Unique Gifts? We’ve got them! Where? Zinnia Folk Arts at GUILD
Zinnia Folk Arts at GUILD
4414 Excelsior Blvd
St. Louis Park, MN
Friday & Saturday, Dec 16, 17: 10-6
Sunday, Dec 18: 12-5
Monday-Friday, Dec 19-23: 10-6 (Yes, we’re open on Monday next week)
Saturday, Dec 24: 10-3
CLOSED on Christmas & Monday, Dec 26
Tuesday, Dec 27: 10-6
Select Online orders by Saturday, Dec 17 to assure Christmas delivery
Zinnia Folk Arts 