"Hi there! Come right in!" This fantastical greeter stands near the entrance. Despite all those fangs and claws and the voracious expression, the bright, whimsical flowers somewhat blunt the effect. Casa de los Venados (House of the Deer) contains one of the preeminent collections of Mexican folk art and it was one of our "must-see" places during our Valladolid explorations. Carole and I have been fans of Mexican folk art since we began our life here and we were eager to check this place out.
Folk art is defined as the art of a specific culture or region. It is created by self-taught or community-trained artists, and reflects the traditions, customs and daily life of a community. This form of art is dynamic, can be decorative or utilitarian, and may change over time. Some of the hand-made art objects can be used in daily life, while others may be reserved for important ceremonies.
Overview
Google satellite view showing how to get there. Calle 40 (40th St) runs along the east side of Valladolid's main plaza, called Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado. On the map above, Calle 40 is shown as Highway 295. It runs one-way to the north on the east side of the Parque (and one-way to the south on the west side). Casa de los Venados is located about 50m (164ft) south of the southeast corner of the Parque, (see red marker). The address is Calle 40 #204.
Our host and his fierce watch-puppy. Casa de los Venados is actually a private residence belonging to John and Dorianne Venator. They spent 35 years collecting more than 3000 pieces of folk art while traveling around Mexico. About 23 years ago, they started looking for a place for vacations and retirement and Valladolid's laid-back atmosphere attracted them. One day, while walking around near the plaza, John found the house of their dreams. I say "dreams" because the 17th century colonial-era mansion was pretty dilapidated at the time. It must have taken considerable imagination to see what could be made of it.
The Venators allow 1-hour, pre-scheduled tours every day between 10 AM and 1 PM. The phone is (985) 856-2289. Plan to arrive a few minutes early, since tours start right on time. Admission is free, but there is a suggested donation of at least $100 pesos (approximately $5.00 USD). This goes to local charities and to help maintain the property. A very friendly and knowledgeable Mexican named Freddy was our guide. Tours can be conducted in either English or Spanish. I never did learn the name of the little terrier, but he was a cutie and enjoyed having his chin scratched.
A few examples of the amazing folk art in Casa de los Venados
A colorful, hand-made deer head decorated one wall. Venados (deer) are sacred to many of Mexico's native cultures, most particularly the Wixaritari (known to the Spanish as the Huicholes). They venerate deer, corn, eagles, and peyote. The Wixaritari are a Nahuatl-speaking tribe that migrated south from the northern deserts in pre-hispanic times. When Spanish conquistador Nuñez de Guzman Beltran passed through their area, the Wixaritari fled into the mountains to avoid being massacred or enslaved. Today the center of their culture is the mountainous intersection of Jalisco, Nayarit, and Zacatecas states.
This monkey appears ready to leap from the wicker lamp. He may be of the Howler Monkey species. We saw many of them when we visited the jungles of southern Yucatan and Costa Rica. Monkeys were associated with Ehecatl, the God of Wind and were kept as pets by the ancient Zapotecs and Aztecs. I found the creature's appearance and posture to be remarkably accurate. The lamp was clearly crafted by a gifted artist who is familiar with this kind of animal. I'm not sure how comfortable I would be using this as a reading lamp, knowing that this guy was about to leap onto my head at any moment.
An alert jaguar mom glares at a possible threat to her kitten. Jaguars are another animal that was important to pre-hispanic people in Mexico and Central America. The early Olmecs (1500 BC - 400 BC) revered the animal and carved many stone images of them. Because the jaguar hunts at night, it was believed to freely pass between the world of the living and that of Xibalba (the underworld). As a powerful predator it was also associated with warfare and the cult of the jaguar warriors and with royalty.
An unusual dog crouches under a table. The figure has the body of a slender dog, but the face of a human with a blonde mustache and goatee. The art of indigenous people in colonial times often depicted Spaniards with blonde hair and beards. This creature seens to carry on that tradition. Pre-hispanic art also contains many depictions of anthropomorphic (part human) animals. This tradition dates back thousands of years to Olmec stone carvings of "were-jaguars", which depicted human children with jaguar faces.
Anyone need a hand in telling the time? This is one of the most unusual clocks I have ever encountered. Standing on human feet and legs of carved wood, the clock shows the time with its human hands and fingers. Extra fingers are added for each hour until they total twelve. I have always enjoyed the quirky sense of humor of Mexico's artists.
A catrina sits demurely on a chair, with an umbrella between her knees. This is one of the classic Mexican skeleton figures known as a catrina. Across from her, out of sight, is a catrin, a seated male figure wearing a top hat. Catrins and catrinas were the invention of a 19th century political cartoonist named Guadalupe Posada.
He drew the figures to lampoon Mexico's nouveax riche class during the rule of the dictator Porfirio Diaz (1876-1911). This got him into hot water, requiring him to flee his hometown of Aguascalientes to Mexico City. Catrins and catrinas are still popular, especially during the Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead).
A skeletal indigenous dancer wears a deer's head and carries a rattle in each hand. He also has sets of rattles around his lower legs. His posture is very realistic and I could almost hear the rhythmic drumming to which he is dancing. The artistic use of skeletons, as well as individual human bones and skulls, is still another tradition that dates far back into pre-hispanic times. The ancient people used to de-flesh skulls and decorate them with turquoise mosaics. The bones of dead relatives were sometimes carved into daily household utensils as a way of keeping a connection with the deceased person.
A seated skeleton peruses a magazine while wearing rather fancy sunglasses. A newspaper is lying on the table, ready for his attention when he finishes the magazine. Perhaps he symbolizes the fate of someone waiting in the office of one of Mexico's notoriously slow government bureaucracies. He looked friendly enough, but we didn't want to disturb his concentration, so we quietly tiptoed away. The artist must have had a good time putting this scene together.
A snarling jaguar head forms the left arm-piece of this chair. The beautifully carved chair is one of a pair. The other has a similar snarling head on its right arm-piece. Sculpture in wood and stone is a very ancient artistic skill in Mexico. The Spanish conquistadors destroyed the civilizations they found when they landed in the New World. Assisting them in this were the Franciscan friars and those of various other evangelical Orders, who were bent on eradicating "devil worship". However, the ancient skills often survived, although they sometimes had to be practiced covertly, in order to escape the wrath of the oppressors.
This completes Part 19 of my Valladolid Adventures series. I hope you have enjoyed it. If so, please leave any thoughts or questions in the Comments section below or email me directly. If you leave a question, please include your email address so that I may respond in a timely fashion.
Hasta luego, Jim
