What is Papel Amate?
Papel amate, an ancient form of paper making from wild fig tree bark, has been an intrinsic part of indigenous peoples lives since pre-colonial times. Serving as a gateway to the mysteries of the cosmos, papel amate plays an integral role in the spiritual and cultural lives of the Indigenous peoples from pre-Hispanic Mexico to today. Imbued with sacred life force from the rituals of the shamans and artists who create it, papel amate has survived centuries of cultural challenges and is proven to be a resilient craft and spiritual practice.
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Papel Mágico © 2024 Regina Telinski
Historical Background
Benz BF, López Mestas C. L, Ramos de la Vega J. ORGANIC OFFERINGS, PAPER, AND FIBERS FROM THE HUITZILAPA SHAFT TOMB, JALISCO, MEXICO. Ancient Mesoamerica. 2006;17(2):283-296. doi:10.1017/S0956536106060196
Thanks to the archeological findings of the Huitzilapa shaft tomb in Jalisco, Mexico, by researchers Ramos and López in 1996, it is now known that papel amate has been utilized in pre-Hispanic Mexico for nearly two thousand years. Within the Huitzilapa tomb, a crumpled piece of papel amate was found in the south chamber, along with additional artwork and jewelry, appearing to belong to the body of a high-status male.
A research study titled “Organic Offerings, Paper, and Fibers from the Huitzilapa Shaft Tomb, Jalisco, Mexico,” published in the academic journal Ancient Mesoamerica 17, no. 2 states that “the occurrence of a small piece of bark paper in the south chamber at Huitzilapa pushes back the antiquity of bark paper making to at least the first century A.D.” (Benz, López Mestas, and Ramos de la Vega 2006, 293). While this is the closest that researchers have come to identifying an origin of the creation of papel amate, additional academic and scientific scholarship is required to definitively confirm its origin.
Traditional Otomí Papel Amate
In the book, Traditional Papermaking and Paper Cult Figures of Mexico, researchers Alan Sandstrom and Pamela Sandstrom describe the Otomi method of creating papel amate by citing the following passage from researcher Dard Hunter:
“The bark of these trees used by the Otomis is gathered in the autumn when full of sap. After the bark is well dried it is placed in a pool of running water, which washes away the parenchyma or glutinous substance, leaving the pure fibers. These are then made into bundles and laid in a stream where the material receives a further cleansing. It is then boiled with ashes, or in the liquid (nejayote or nixcomel) in which corn tortillas (Mexican cakes) have been boiled. A large earthen pot of native construction, heated over an open fire, is used in boiling the bark. After washing, the fibers are beaten with wooden clubs or mallets until they have separated and are in a pulpy condition.
When the material has been thoroughly macerated it is made into a paste and spread over a board in a thin sheet with the fingers; and then gently beaten fry with a small stone, which mats the fibers, forming a homogeneous sheet of paper. This sheet, still upon the board, is then dried in the sun. When it is dry it can be easily removed, the board causing the underside of the paper to be smooth, with an almost glossy appearance.” [Hunter 1927, pp. 15-16] (Sandstrom, R., Sandstrom 1987).
Amate Rituals
Ecological Considerations & Otomí Reciproscity
As Kimmerer reflects in Braiding Sweetgrass “if we allow traditions to die and relationships to fade, the land will suffer,” (Kimmerer pg. 162). This sentiment resonates deeply within the context of modern day papel amate production. Through the attention and relationship Otomi peoples have with land, agriculture, weather, and nature there is a reciprocal dynamic between Otomi peoples giving offerings to animistic nature spirits and the nature spirits helping in return.
This reciprocal dynamic is mentioned time and again in Braiding Sweetgrass. As technology progresses, humanity slips further and further away from its original relationship with nature, taking too much and not giving enough in return. Papel amate in its powerful shamanic connection to the forces of nature and the cosmos teaches one to be in an active relationship with nature in both giving and receiving.
Contemporary Papel Amate
Before papel amate was commercialized over the past 50 years and sold as artwork and decorative pieces, its primary function served as a ceremonial, ritual, or spiritual tool. Today’s disconnect from papel amate’s spiritual roots is seen in commercial works exhibiting generic designs or geometric patterns, stripping the craft from its shamanic, ritual, and cultural identity. Papel amate was developed as a “means of communicating messages to people,” visually through the iconography of the paper (Sandstrom & Sandstrom, pg. 269).
Once papel amate became a commercial enterprise, these messages disappeared, and generic geometric shapes took precedence. This assembly line of mass produced papel amate embodies the sentiment Karl Marx expresses in Craft and The Industrial Revolution: “In handicrafts and manufacture, the workman makes use of a tool, in the factory, the machine makes use of him (Marx, 69).” Employing this mass-produced factory mentally to papel amate completely takes away from the original intention of the craft.
Safegaurding Cultural Heritage
To ensure papel amate’s survival as an authentic cultural and spiritual craft, collaborative efforts between Indigenous communities, academics, and cultural organizations are crucial. These efforts must center around voices of the Otomí community, with an active respect for traditions, both tangible and intangible. By honoring the spiritual origins of papel amate, the traditions and identity of Indigenous peoples in Mexico are better safeguarded.