Hand made Amate paper ceremonial dolls.

The Otomi Indian are the fifth largest ethnic group in Mexico, they are dispersed over a five state area. Some Otomi pueblos are located deep in a remote region know as the Hausteca. These villages still retain a strong sense of traditional beliefs and customs. Their world is filled with a pantheon of invisible spirits,good and evil, which affect every aspect of life. They hold Zaki ( life forces) and Na Xudi the ( shadow side)of all things. Many events from building a house, death, arguments with neighbors, successful harvests or even love, are explained by the presence of the spirits. The shaman use beautiful paper dolls (Dahi) cut from handmade amate paper to represent and manipulate these forces. They conduct cleansings, healings and "costumbres" ( ritual ceremonies) with the "Dahi" to protect the villagers. These figures are representations of these "spirits " cut in San Pablito , State of Puebla.

Birds are messengers of the goings on.	corn and other seed spirits are used during planting	The president of hell ( a bad guy)	The goddess of the mountian ( she can help the shaman help you)	The Otomi Indian are the fifth largest ethnic group in Mexico, they are dispersed over a five state area. Some Otomi pueblos are located deep in a remote region know as the Hausteca. These villages still retain a strong sense of traditional beliefs and customs. Their world is filled with a pantheon of invisible spirits,good and evil, which affect every aspect of life. They hold Zaki ( life forces) and Na Xudi the ( shadow side)of all things. Many events from building a house, death, arguments with neighbors, successful harvests or even love, are explained by the presence of the spirits. The shaman use beautiful paper dolls (Dahi) cut from handmade amate paper to represent and manipulate these forces. They conduct cleansings, healings and "costumbres" ( ritual ceremonies) with the "Dahi" to protect the villagers. These figures are representations of these "spirits " cut in San Pablito , State of Puebla.
amamte paper plain.jpg	dried bark from Amatal tree	Bark is stripped	soaked to softed it.
Boiled	The pulled into strings	string are laid out on a board	and pounded into paper
Pounding the bark into paper	Afer it is dried, it used for many crafts, hwoever the figures are only cut by a limited number of men.	amatemaking6.jpg	amatemaking7.jpg