San Cristóbal Zapotitlán - South Shore Lake Chapala Feb 2010

Cooperativa Mi Pueblito San Cristóbal

I can always think of a reason to take a ride over to the 

south shore of Lake Chapala to visit San Cristóbal,

and up high on that list is a stop at the 

basket (canasta) and corn husk doll (muñeca) cooperative.

Zaragosa #33 A

387-763-2167

There is a small green sign on the highway

with an arrow pointing towards the lake - turn there.

The road is paved, follow it about a mile

until you reach the big soccer field on the right.

The cooperativo is just past that.

Thirty artists, all from San Cristóbal, have formed a cooperative

to produce and sell the palm baskets and corn husk dolls they make.

They have been doing this for 13 years.

Here are a few of their offerings.

The front show room.

Baskets!

Dolls.

More baskets!

More dolls!

María Florentina Osorio Rito with flower bouquet and raw palm

spines used in the baskets.

María is the woman in charge and is very knowledgeable, 

friendly, and helpful.

The dolls are all exquisitely different, and range in size from about 6 inches

to about a foot and a half for the Virgin de Guadalupe.  

Most dolls are about a foot high.

Prices for the dolls go from $12 pesos (about 90 cents US)

to $75 pesos for the 'foot high' size (about $5.75 US)

The most impressive doll of all is, 

fittingly, the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Here she is.

The Virgin of Guadalupe

The artist and her daughter.

The dolls are all made by hand and entirely of corn husks.

It is a long and intricate process.

First step is selecting and sorting the best dried corn husks.

Then the husks are painted and allowed to dry.

Following that, they wet them and shape them into the design.

Next they are dried.

Finally, any added touches are put on and the doll is ready.

Here is a catalog of basket shapes:

Click to enlarge.

All the baskets are sturdy and well made.

 Go visit!  

You won't be sorry!