What is amate bark art?
Amate bark painting is a Mexican folk art developed in the state of Puebla, but today it is mainly practiced in the state of Guerrero. The process involves both the creating of the bark paper and the painting of it, which is often done to depict brightly colored scenes of daily life, history, or nature.
Who made amate bark painting?
The Amate is painted by Nahuatl speaking folk artists in the region called the Mezcala, on the Rio Balsas Basin in Guerrero state. The natural beauty of the area has inspired one of the most valued folk art painting styles in the country.
Can you paint amate paper?
The children can still crush and open the paper to soften it, and then can use either do-a-dots or regular paint brushes to paint the amate.
Why is Papel Amate done today?
Today, most households in San Pablito are involved in paper-making and the craft provides a vital source of income for local families. The paper boom has helped reduce poverty in the village and has provided work for papermakers and people who harvest bark throughout the region.
Where is Papel Amate made?
Papel Amate has been made for centuries by the Otomí Indians in the states of Puebla and Vera Cruz in Mexico. Traditional fibers still used today are the outer bark of the ficus tree and the inner bark of the mulberry bush.
Who made amates?
Mexican Amate Bark Paper dates back to pre-Columbian times and is still handmade by indigenous Otomi artisans of central Mexico using the same methods of their Mesoamerican ancestors from nearly 3000 years ago.
When was amate invented?
It is not known exactly where or when papermaking began in Mesoamerica. The oldest known amate paper dates back to 75 CE. It was discovered at the site of Huitzilapa, Jalisco.
What is traditional Aztec amate paper made from?
bark
Amatl/amate is made by boiling the inner bark of trees, particularly fig trees and mulberry trees. This results in a fibrous material which is laid criss-crossed and overlapping on a smooth board and pounded with a stone until the fibers mesh together.
What is amate paper used for?
Amate (Spanish: amate [aˈmate] from Nahuatl languages: āmatl [ˈaːmat͡ɬ]) is a type of bark paper that has been manufactured in Mexico since the precontact times. It was used primarily to create codices.
What is Mexican amate?
Amate, from the Nahuatl word amatl (paper), is a type of craft paper with the appearance of a fibrous vegetal sheet. Its artisan manufacturing requires the use of bark from various kinds of trees. The elaboration and use of amate paper have their origin in pre-Hispanic times.
What is amate made of?
Amate is an ancient tradition of paper making from Mexico, made from the pulp of the fig and mulberry trees. To make amate, the outer tree bark is peeled and the inner bark is boiled and soaked in water overnight, then beaten with a smooth flat stone until it becomes pulp.
What is Aztec amate paper made of?
Amatl/amate is made by boiling the inner bark of trees, particularly fig trees and mulberry trees. This results in a fibrous material which is laid criss-crossed and overlapping on a smooth board and pounded with a stone until the fibers mesh together.
What is amate bark painting?
The Mexican tradition of making and painting tree bark paper is known as amate bark painting. It’s an intriguing folk art that’s quickly becoming popular as a living link to the ancient civilizations of Mexico’s past. The tradition of turning bark into paper dates back to the ancient Maya and Nahua peoples.
What is amate art?
Today we’ll look at a traditional Mexican folk art, painted on an organic medium called “ amate .” Amate (pronounced “ah-MAH-tay”) is a type of paper produced from the fibers of the bark of fig trees. Beginning in pre-Hispanic times, different indigenous groups used the amate to communicate with others.
What kind of paper do you use for a bark painting?
Based on “Folk Art Lesson” in the book Art Projects from Around the World (Scholastic 2006), I adapted the images to create a very cool “bark” painting for fourth grade. – 6 x 9″ brown or tan paper (paper bags or craft paper works well as does construction paper)
Where does amate paper come from?
In today’s Mexico, the Otomí people of Central Mexico produce this paper in a way similar to its historical origins. However, now Nahua artisans paint intricate birds, colorful plants, and whimsical animals on the amate so that it can be used for decoration.