Spinal Column, Pedestal for Bowl - Monte Albán, Oaxaca
My favorite piece at the museum. This ceramic pedestal is fairly, anatomically correct. Pelvis and sacrum at bottom, 5 lumber vertebras, and a 6th thoracic vertebra at top.
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| Front View |
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| Back View - the detail is amazing |
23 de septiembre - First full day in Mexico City
The National Museum of Anthropology in Parque Chapultepec is an amazing collection of material culture from Mesoamerican cultures from before first contact with Europeans (also called pre-Columbian or pre-Hispanic era).
This is another favorite piece for me. They are rabbit vessels for storing pulque, a beverage made by fermenting agave o maguey plant. From pulque, comes tequila. From the Mexica (Aztec) culture.
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| The sand-colored side-lying rabbit vessel holds 2 gallons, o menos |
On Sunday, September 23, I viewed only two of several galleries, the Mexica(Aztec) gallery and the Oaxaca gallery. The stunning quality and numbers of the art and objects in this museum is overwhelming.
26 de septiembre - last full day in Mexico City
I returned to the Anthropology Museum. I can see this kind of stuff only in Mexico City. My favorite today is this smiling old man emerging from a conch shell, a metaphor for snails emerging from their shell like man is born out of the woman's belly. The human figure may be a dwarf or spirit.
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| Beautiful color and highly polished |
Another favorite is this dog vessel. The breed is know to lie on its side. Looks like my chihuahua terrier at home.
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| Vessel holds about a cup of liquid |
Note: The public museums in Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX) are free (gratis) to the public, regardless of where you are from.
23 septiembre - Walking the Paseo de la Reforma
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| Entrance to Parque Chapultepec, looking toward Paseo de la Reforma |
Every Sunday morning and early afternoon, the paseo is closed to vehicular traffic, starting from one side of the Parque and through to the other side, and further until the El Ángel de la Independencia. 4kms of road only for pedestrians and bicyclists, in the heart of Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX).
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| Facade seen from Paseo de la Reforma |
On the return trip from the Parque Chapultepec to the hotel, I walked by a beautiful building that houses a Apple MacStore. See foto above. The pink marble building was the 1929 home of the English business man Patrick O'Hey and his family. He brought the neo-gothic architectgural style to his Mexican house from his homeland.
In 2010, the building was moved not far from its original location, and then restored. And, a modern tower building was built around it, with a glass atrium that connects the neogothic residence to the new tower.
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| Main showroom of MacStore |
El Ángel de la Independencia - The Angel of Independence.
My hotel, Casa Gonzalez, is close to this impressive monument. It's in the center of a round-about on Paseo de la Reforma. I felt like I went to Paris, but you hear Spanish surrounding you.
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About 10 stories high. Built to commemorate the
100th anniversary of Mexican independence from Spain. |
Ironically, the Mexican Revolution (or Civil War) would start soon after the monument was completed.
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| The splendid and gilded angel |
Habitación - Back at my hotel room
This is the sitting area outside of my private room. I treat like my own living room. The Asian motif furniture is surprising comfortable.
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| Decorative tiles trim the doorways and hallways |
Outside my hotel room, or habitactión, three fantastical creatures great me. Maybe they keep evil spirits away... and perhaps good spirits too.
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