By José de Jesús Cortés - EFE
Although the eyes of Mexican artisan Josefina Aguilar were extinguished almost 10 years ago, her hands have not stopped molding the clay to make the miniature nativity scenes that this Christmas become essential in Mexican homes.
The woman, who lost her sight due to her diabetes, creates these figures to recall the biblical passage of the birth of Jesus in the style of the artisans of Ocotlán de Morelos, in the southern state of Oaxaca.
Josefina Aguilar makes miniature clay nativity scenes, on Dec. 23, 2023, in Oaxaca City, Mexico.Jesús Méndez / EFE
At 78 years of age, Josefina refuses to leave the clay that she learned to give shape, life and texture as a child with the help of her mother.
"How wonderful it is when you start to make things, you feel a beautiful thing when you carve the clay and the figures come out, now I don't see them because I lost my sight, but to make the pieces my hands still run on the piece I'm making," explains the Oaxacan artisan.
The Memory of the Hands
Guided by the memory of her hands, which now look out for her as they slide into the mud, the artisan shapes the faces of each of the characters that make up the traditional Christmas nativity scene in Mexico.
Inspired by the painting of the Adoration of the Magi, there are the figures of the angel, the star of Bethlehem, the three wise men, a shepherd and, in the central box, Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus, a scene that is harmoniously recreated here in a square of less than 30 square centimeters.
Detail of miniature figures made of clay by Josefina Aguilar, and her son Demetrio, on December 23, 2023, in Oaxaca City, MexicoJesús Méndez / EFE
The technique, known as polychrome clay, has been passed down to her nine children, including Demetrio Aguilar, who now supports his mother as he leaves the amorphous pieces of clay in her hands for her to mold and insert with precision.
"All the pieces are handmade. There are miniature figures from two centimeters high," says the artist.
Once the clay settles, the piece is put in the oven for nine hours to continue with the coloring process.
For this new nativity scene, created from his mother's hands, Demetrius chose red for Mary's tunic, green and yellow for Joseph, white for the angel and an intense blue to set the mood for the night.
Artisans Josefina Aguilar and her son Demetrio make miniature clay nativity scenes, on Dec. 23, 2023, in Oaxaca City, Mexico. Jesús Méndez / EFE
"This is a clay plate that we made and it's a three-dimensional shape where we mix the paint with the ceramics to give them a little deeper colors, to put landscapes and mountains there," explains Demetrio as he paints.
Only one piece will remain unpainted: that of the newborn baby Jesus, which will remain the color of clay to give it the purity and tonality of the Oaxacan lands.
Because of all this care and wisdom, the handicrafts acquire a value that exceeds the economic value for this and other families in Oaxaca.
"Many people think that since it is a miniature figure it has a smaller value, and it is the opposite, a small figure requires more work than a large one, a miniature implies more elaboration, more attention and putting a little more detail into it, mainly in the face," says the man.
Detail of making figures made of clay by Josefina Aguilar, and her son Demetrio, on Dec. 23, 2023, in Oaxaca City, Mexico.Jesús Méndez / EFE
Behind each of these pieces there is more than a month of dedicated work and they cost more than 3,000 pesos (more than 150 dollars), an amount invested by collectors of Christmas representations who come to Oaxaca in search of a nativity scene handcrafted in clay.
The Josefina Aguilar family workshop Artesanías Josefina Aguilar is located at the entrance to Ocotlán de Morelos, located 30 kilometers south of the capital of the state of Oaxaca.