Derived from the Native American Nahuatl"AMATL", short for amacuahuitl, literally, paper tree from amatl, meaning paper + cuahuitl, meaning tree.
This paper made, from tree bark, has been produced by Mexico's indigenous peoples since at least the eleventh century. Used in religious ceremonies and for important manuscripts, it holds deep cultural significance.
After the Conquest, the Spaniards introduced European paper to the country and banned amate. In remote villages high in the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Otomí people kept the amate-making tradition alive. Meanwhile, the Nahua people of Central Mexico had developed their own trademark craft: finely painted pottery detailing scenes of village life. In the 1960's the two traditions met when Nahua artists began painting their intricate designs on amate purchased from the Otomí. A handful of Nahua villages in the state of Guerrero including San Agustin Oapan, Ameyaltepec, Ahuehuepan, Ahuelican, and Xalitla became centers for this art of bark painting, which today constitutes a major source of income for Nahua and Otomí artisans alike.
Post Card Amate Bark Paintings
Item Code - ABPPC
$4.49
9 cm X 15 cm
The Wedding
Two Doves
Farming
Greased Pole Climber
La Pinata
Blue Dove
Festive Dog
Growing Corn
The Doe
Horse Race
The Dance
Small Amate Bark Paintings
Item Code - ABPS
$5.89
15 cm X 20 cm
Fireworks
Hidden Dove
Horse Race
Farm Work
The Quinceanera
The Bull Rider
Deer
The Pinata
Purple Dove
The Wedding
Blue Dove
Greased Pole Climber
Medium Amate Bark Paintings
Item Code - ABPM
$7.99
30 cm X 20 cm
Fireworks
Hidden Dove
Horse Race
Farm Work
The Quinceanera
The Bull Rider
Deer
The Pinata
Purple Dove
The Wedding
Blue Dove
Greased Pole Climber
Large Amate Bark Paintings
Item Code - ABPL
$8.75
40 cm X 30 cm
Fireworks
Hidden Dove
Horse Race
Farm Work
The Quinceanera
The Bull Rider
Deer
The Pinata
Purple Dove
The Wedding
Blue Dove
Greased Pole Climber
Extra Large Amate Bark Paintings
Item Code - ABPXL
$13.99
60 cm X 40 cm
Fireworks
Hidden Dove
Horse Race
Farm Work
The Quinceanera
The Bull Rider
Deer
The Pinata
Purple Dove
The Wedding
Blue Dove
Greased Pole Climber
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