News — Michoacan
Searching for...some quality control!
artisans authentic buying artesania Cheran Michoacan silver
As Mexico By Hand prepares for the AI revolution, wondering if I will eventually embrace it and see the benefits for our business, I want to take a moment and discuss something I'm definitely comfortable with now--the internet search. Recently I've had some interesting requests from new customers who found us by googling. (I'm going to still use that word even though I personally search other ways.) If we didn't have an online presence, recent custom orders I've received would never have happened. So that's the upside. But there's also a lot of shady crap going on, and every once in...
Traditionally Modern
Cheran earrings hoops Michoacan Purepecha silver traditional
Pine Needle Baskets, part 2
baskets butterflies Michoacan monarch pine needle
No hay mal que por bien no venga."There's nothing bad through which good doesn't come". My original story about our pine needle baskets was written in March of 2019. This post includes some of that story-- plus an update. In the past 17 years I have bought and sold thousands of pieces of handmade artesania (crafts) from Mexico, including dozens of pine needle baskets. I’ve acquired the baskets various ways-- sometimes from the artisans themselves while I’m in Mexico and they happen to be selling in Morelia or Uruapan, and other times through my assistant who arranges a purchase for me...
Another Michoacán Great Master
Antonio Anita Mejia artesania authentic bateas folk art Michoacan Quiroga traditional
I am very sad to share the news that we recently lost another great Mexican folk artist--Antonio Anita Mejia of Michoacán. I have known Antonio since 2003 and Mexico By Hand has bought and sold dozens of his beautiful pieces over the years. As a matter of fact, I have many right now waiting to be shipped from Mexico to California. I first noticed Antonio in front of his colorfully painted bateas and trasteritos at the Dia de los Muertos market in Patzcuaro, and took this photo. He was sitting just outside of the official artisans booth area at the...
Returning to Zipiajo!
artesania authentic blouses clay crafts embroidery folk art handmade Michoacan textiles traditional
We met Elvia Silva Bartolo in 2004 while Doug and I were shooting our documentary. She’s in Zipiajo, a Purepecha village way off the beaten track where a few artisans make unpainted terracotta clay pots and gorgeous embroidered blouses.We didn’t know about the embroidery at the time, and until we were in Elvia’s workshop we had no idea that she had an incredible talent for sculpting clay animal figures. We bought a few small ones that day, and later purchased some that won prizes in Michoacán state fairs. She has a piece in the prestigious Museo del Arte Popular in...