I am currently working on a painting of these dolls which are frequently sold by some of the indigenous peoples of Mexico.
The dolls have a long history. Dolls like these were created by the indigenous before Mexico was conquered by the Spaniards. They are part of Mexico’s heritage and have been passed down from generation to generation.
I believe that they are intended as both toys and as a way for the indigenous people to sell a craft to earn their living. I know little of the doll’s history outside of this.
The indigenous people who craft these dolls call themselves the Otomi. They have their own language called, nHa:nHo. Their largest populations are found in the states of Hidalgo (Valle de Mezquital), México, Puebla, Querétaro, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz.
I find the dolls and these people to be fascinating and like all cultures they struggle to maintain their traditions in our modern world of globalization and general loss of our unique qualities.
Doll Face