This is my friend Alejandrina Rios Sanchez who owns El Nahual Gallery on Av. Cinco de Mayo with her husband Tito Mendoza. She is wearing the collar de cuello — the neck collar I designed and made. It is my gift to her. It is red coral beads each individually hand sewn onto a handmade fabric cord, with ties finished off with coral bead tips. Doesn’t it look great on her?
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Las Cuevitas 2010
We arrived late in the afternoon at that magic hour between daylight and sunset when everything is aglow. Village people had been gathering on the mountainside behind the village since last night, many of them camping overnight. There are some shallow caves there that are holy altars and each year a pilgrimage takes place to this spot where families gather, eat, take the rocks from the hillside and build miniature structures that represent the grand houses they wish for. Everyone wants a house and everyone wants their house that is under construction to be complete. This is what dreams are made of and the biggest dream for a Teotiteco family is to have a large casa where all the extended family of multi-generations can live together comfortably.
As we got in line to make our wishes at the altar, I saw this stunning, tall woman coming out of the small hillside chapel. She was dressed like an angel in a gorgeous handwoven silk and wool sarape. I got as close as I could to take photos of this incredible garment, which you will see in the gallery above. Today, I found out that this was woven by my friend Tito Mendoza and the person wearing it was none other than Lila Downs.
This year, Federico and Stephen gathered rocks helped by Dolores, Janet and me, and completed the houses we have had under construction for two years as miniatures right before our eyes, complete with garden, roofs, courtyards, driveway and fencing surrounding the property. Others sat alongside their completed rock houses, nibbling on sweets or drinking beer, or lighting bonfires and shooting off firecrackers. By the time it was dark, the hillside was aglow with firelight, families gathered together, contemplating their dreams.
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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture, Teotitlan del Valle, Textiles, Tapestries & Weaving, Travel & Tourism
Tagged las cuevitas, Lila Downs, New Year's Day Teotitlan del Valle, Tito Mendoza