Handmade bookmarks from México

These were two of my birthday gifts from Karen. Thanks!

Warriors

Karen sent this interesting bookmark from México:

Eagle warriors and Jaguar warriors were two special classes of infantry soldiers in the Aztec army, leading military orders in Aztec society. These military orders were made up of the bravest soldiers of noble birth and those who had taken the greatest number of prisoners in battle. Of all of the Aztec warriors, they were the most feared.

A Jaguar Warrior (Wikipedia.org)

Pre-hispanic motifs

This is a very interesting bookmark. It’s made of sand, and shows a pre-hispanic inspired motif:

Now, I don’t think it was really made by a Mayan, or an Aztecan, because it would be a very expesive bookmark… but it really is made of sand, see the grains?

And this one shows an example of “pintaderas” which were made by indigenous people of Mexico in ancient times to decorate their bodies, clothes, and pottery:

Palacio de las bellas artes

This bookmark is made of cork:

The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) is the most important cultural center in Mexico City as well as the rest of the country of Mexico. It is located on the west side of the historic center of Mexico City next to the Alameda Central park.

The building is best known for its murals by Diego Rivera, Siqueiros and others, as well as the many exhibitions and theatrical performances its hosts. The Palace has been the scene of some of the most notable events in music, dance, theatre, opera and literature and has hosted important exhibitions of painting, sculpture and photography.

Palacio de las Bellas Artes (Wikipedia.com)

Speak friend and enter

This is a bookmark from the Mexican Tolkien Society, with a quote from The Lord of the Rings, “Speak friend and enter” written in Spanish, and an image of Gandalf the wizard:

Gandalf, and the rest of the fellowship, find this inscription on the gates of the mines of Moria, under the Misty Mountains. It is a riddle actually. To open the gates of Moria Gandalf had to say the word “Mellon“, meaning “friend” in the Elvish language.

An image of The gates of Moria (codemasters.com, used with permission)

Day of the dead

I’ll start showing you the Mexican bookmarks I received from Karen.

The first bookmark I’ll post is about the “Día de los muertos” or “Day of the dead”.

Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated by many in Mexico. It focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 2 in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Due to occurring shortly after Halloween, the Day of the Dead is sometimes thought to be a similar holiday, although the two are celebrated differently.

This bookmark shows a mail stamp with a skull. Here’s a closer look: