Cempasúchil and Popocatepetl
It is that time of year again. The days are waning, the nights are cooling (well they would be if I was Northern hemispherical) and my feeds are filling up with the autumnal imagery of this season of spirits. The boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead fluctuate and bleed into each other and we welcome the memories of those who have … Continue reading Cempasúchil and Popocatepetl
Mascara de Xochipilli?
Purchased online (through eBay) as a gift for my birthday in 2024 The seller advertised the piece as being An extremely beautiful work of ancient mesoamerican religious art, carved in a very nice deep green “Chalchihuitl” (1) Jade Stone and notes that this item……DEPICTS A VERY CLASSIC TEOTIHUACAN CULTURE JADE FACE WITH ITS RITUAL NOSEPLUG. It was 100% handcarved from a deep green Jade Stone … Continue reading Mascara de Xochipilli?
The Tallship Cuauhtémoc
First. Some definitions (Max if you are reading this I apologise in advance). I am not a seagoing man (and, much to the chagrin of many a family member, nor am I even an avid fisherman – I am a cook though so bring me your fish, cackers and abalone and I’ll do something with those). Personally I think that with all the krakens and … Continue reading The Tallship Cuauhtémoc
Porophyllum iruyense
Porophyllum is a genus of phanerogamous (1) plants belonging to the family Asteraceae (2) . The pore-leaf family includes 101 described species and of these, only 27 are accepted. They are native subshrubs of the Americas. As their name suggests (4), their leaves often have large glands that produce aromatic oils that give off a strong odour. The large majority of these plants are used … Continue reading Porophyllum iruyense
Quelite : Lengua de vaca
Lengua de vaca Now, when I speak of lengua de vaca (cows tongue) I am not speaking of the actual tongue of a cow but of a wild herb or “quelite”. The herb is no doubt (as you will see further down) named for its general appearance (shape and size wise in some cases) of a cows tongue. Commonly used and appreciated in México, the … Continue reading Quelite : Lengua de vaca
Tlaxcales : Prehispanic Corn Biscuits
The prehispanic biscuit known as a tlaxcal (also tlascal : plural tlaxacales) has the same etymological root as the tortilla. The name of the region known as Tlaxcala is derived from the Classical Nahuatl Tlaxcallān, from tlaxcalli (“tortilla”) + -tlān (place of), although some historians note that the toponym (1) for Tlaxcala comes from another Nahuatl word texcalli which meant ‘stone, rock, crag (2)’ and … Continue reading Tlaxcales : Prehispanic Corn Biscuits
Salsa de Pápalo
For those who like to complain of such things…….This IS NOT a sponsored or paid article. I am simply posting it as I find the herb (and the product) to be interesting. I have not eaten any of the following products featured in this Post (except the guajillos and dried hoja santa por supesto). Hey but if you want to sponsor me (or send me … Continue reading Salsa de Pápalo
This is Mexico : Building a Country : The Architecture of Mexico : Part 4 : Vecindades
This Post is the 4th in a series resulting from a presentation I made at the WA Museum in Perth Western Australia as one of a series of talks presented by the Friends of Mexico (FOMEX) in W.A. My original talk was only a brief one as I was only allotted 60 minutes for my presentation which, once I started researching the subject, I realised … Continue reading This is Mexico : Building a Country : The Architecture of Mexico : Part 4 : Vecindades
This is Mexico : Building a Country : The Architecture of Mexico : Part 3 : Colonial Californiano
Architecture in the Americas and places much further afield such as Australia has been affected by the building styles of wealthy land owning Spaniards and their time colonising Mexico. After the initial invasion and the creation of centrally located cities built from the stones of dismantled pyramids and other local Mexican architecture the Spaniards ventured further afield in their depredations. In the process they began … Continue reading This is Mexico : Building a Country : The Architecture of Mexico : Part 3 : Colonial Californiano
This is Mexico : Building a Country : The Architecture of Mexico : Part 2 : Prehispanic Inspiration.
In August of 2024 I presented a talk at the West Australian Museum as part of a series delivered by FOMEX (The Friends of México Society) on the architecture of Mexico. This was the 3rd series of talks presented and is part of the Mission Statement of FOMEX which is to share the culture of their homeland with the society of the peoples they are … Continue reading This is Mexico : Building a Country : The Architecture of Mexico : Part 2 : Prehispanic Inspiration.
Masa Americana 