For more on Tonala style pottery check out Mexican Ceramics. Tonala Even though the primary focus of my collecting is that of Mexico, along the way I have come across other “Latin American” art and recently I came across a piece from Peru that caught my eye. Now most of the stuff I have found has been in thrift stores and consists of fairly standard … Continue reading Mi colección peruana : My Peruvian Collection
The first piece of Mexican ceramics that entered my collection is the statue of Xochipilli as shown below. I carried this (and several other pieces) in my hand luggage from Mexico City to Los Angeles and then on to Sydney and Perth Western Australia. 40 hours by plane and not a single piece broken. I picked this piece up at Mercado de Artesanías de la … Continue reading Mexican Ceramics. Tonala
In 2025 I visited Tetipac in Guerrero to visit the childhood stomping grounds of a friend whose family has deep roots in the region. Aside from jumiles one of the things he wanted me to try was a refresco from his childhood, and one unique to the region, called Yoli. The drink was a variety of “lemonade” that proved to be very refreshing particularly as … Continue reading Yoli. Refresco Guerrerense
Cover Image via El Universo 2014 I have been in my new residence for nearly five years now and I am still yet to unpack every box transferred in the move. During an exploration of some of these boxes last week (I was looking for a particular book) I rediscovered a mask that I had long forgotten about. I found it, like most of my … Continue reading Máscaras : Dancing Devil Faces : Aya Huma of Ecuador
Cover Image : Las Lajas Sanctuary in the Nariño department of southwestern Colombia. This stunning neo-Gothic basilica was built inside the deep canyon of the Guáitara River. The church sits on a massive stone bridge that spans the 100-meter-deep canyon. Known as a miracle over the abyss, it has drawn global pilgrims since the 18th century to honour the Virgin of the Rosary of Las … Continue reading Nariño. The Place, People, and its Pottery.
It all started with this article…..from July of 2026……..(and a disclaimer that I am not being funded or sponsored by any of the companies/products in this Post. I do it for my own interest – much as everything else I post – and I like pretty pictures) To elaborate…… (text in BOLD were links in the article that took me elsewhere. I have added these … Continue reading Ranch Water
The writing system used by the Aztec at the time the Spanish arrived was not the same as the one we use today, the one I’m using now. Instead of using an alphabetic, syllabic text they essentially drew comic books. I do not mean to disparage them in any way by saying this and, when we eventually get to my exploration of botanical terminology and … Continue reading Sidetrack : Flor de Izote
I have a small (but growing) collection of masks and I am ever on the lookout for new additions, particularly from Mexico. I find it fascinating thinking of the journey the mask made to end up in Australia and into my hands. For some reason (maybe clumsiness?) I prefer wooden masks over the clay/ceramic ones. I like the feel of wood, the story it tells … Continue reading Mis Máscaras : Máscara Guatemalteco
A collection of the artists Luis Ricardo Amendolla Gasparos signatures (that I have been able to find) on various of his artworks. No reason really. Continue reading Amendollas signature.
