Aztec cards

more wonderful cards from the British Museum include

a mask of the creator god Texcatlipoca made with turquoise and shell. He was the primary Aztec deity, celebrated in May. He represents many concepts including night, warfare, shamanism and kingship. He was often symbolized with obsidian (volcanic stone) and mirrors. The museum website offers more info of the object at:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aoa/m/mosaic_mask_of_tezcatlipoca.aspx

This item was worn as an ornament and is wood, covered with turquoise chips. Snakes were associated with the god Quetzalcoatl and other deities. Turquoise was an important trade & tribute product obtained from the north and was associated with the Toltec, a powerful pre-Aztec society. Aztec rulers favored the color blue. More info on this object and other examples of Aztec turquoise art can be found at:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aoa/t/double-headed_serpent.aspx

Mandan dance

Its always wonderful to get cards new to my collection...a dear friend sent 3 purchased from the British Museum's gift store. Here is Karl Bodmer's view of a Mandan dance. Bodmer was a German artist who traveled with Prince Maxmillian on a trip into the American west in 1833. They visited the Mandan, Arikara and Hidatsa, 3 powerful tribes whose economy was based on agriculture and trade as well as hunting. Bodmer, like American artist George Catlin, painted scenes of these communities just before a smallpox epidemic would reduce their populations significantly and leave them vulnerable to the Lakota.

The image may look familiar...before making "Dances with Wolves" production staff closely examined Bodmer and Catlin paintings for details on Native American clothing, ceremonial regalia and weapons. This illustration influenced the bison hunting dance; for more info see Dances with Wolves: The Illustrated Story of the Epic Film, Newmarket Press (1990)

more great Canadian cards!

I did a trade with a Canadian member of Postcrossing some time back and her lovely cards sat on my desk waiting to be added to my blog. These are nice cards, quite different from the usual ones Canadians are able to find in their shops and they are a nice addition to my collection!!

In the US we have the Fancy Shawl Dance done by young women but this is different and the card offers little information other than indicating these are members of the Ojibway tribe dancing near Thunder Bay Ontario.

A recreated camp scene is featured here...Ojibway women participate in an encampment located at Old Fort William, Thunder Bay Ontario. This historical park celebrates the 1800s fur trade which included blended French/Native families. Ojibway interpreters help park visitors understand First Nations culture including the tree bark homes known as wigwam.

Sharing...

Most of my blog posts are about cards that I have received via Postcrossing, friends and even my own shopping, but this post is about a card I am mailing off. I recently saw a wishlist post on the Postcrossing forum from a European member seeking ancient cultures including Maya and Inca cards. These are not commonly shared in the group as there are few members in Mexico or Peru and not many members really travel to such places. So I decided to offer one of my own cards...I pick up a variety of international culture cards to share with my students and try to have Mayan cards on hand. I had one left in the binder so I will mail it to Lisa and share the fun!!

Tulum is a coastal site north of Cancun and this temple is dedicated to the God of Wind. It is a late-Classic and Post-Classic site that moved salt into the interior.

1st Nation Dances

This great card came from a very nice Canadian....always super to add a new card to my collection. Surprisingly, despite having a very rich native cultural presence, there seems to be relatively few 1st Nations postcards (with the exception of wood carving cards available in British Columbia). I often receive duplicates which I don't mind as each message is new & different, but it is nice to get a new design!!

Postcrossing profiles

An interesting feature of Postcrossing, the international postcard exchange site, is the profile section. Here members can add personal information including interests, preferences and more. My profile briefly discusses my Native card collection and occasionally members in the US, Canada, Mexico etc have kindly sent a card to add to my collection. But cards have a mysterious life, traveling all around the world in various ways. Recently I received a Mayan site card from a member in Switzerland

This card is an old souvenir, likely purchased by someone on holiday in Mexico in the 1960s. The Postcrosser found it in a second hand shop and now it resides happily in my binder of Mexican indigenous cards. The scene is the "House of the Doves" at Uxmal, a late Mayan site located in the Yucatan between the colonial city of Merida and the better known archaeological site of Chichen Itza. Uxmal is well known among scholars for its unusual architecture and elaborate stone carvings. I visited the site in the late 1980s; this card is a nice reminder of my own holiday which occurred long before I began collecting postcards.

Politics & Postcards

Recently I drew a name in Postcrossing who specifically asked for political cards offered by Donnelly & Colt. A Google search found their website and offerings; they are a small printer who also distributes a variety of political products and I purchased a few cards for my Postcrossing activities.
Among the offerings was this card, offering a slightly different version of posters etc that feature a photo of Geronimo. The real surprise is that the card includes the address and website info for the American Indian Movement! AIM developed in Minneapolis in the 1960s, helping recently relocated Native people adjust to urban life. Later it grew into a more aggressive political force confronting racism, tribal land issues, treaty rights and more. However violence marred the group's message and it declined as a leading voice for many Native Americans.

AIM PO Box 13521, Mpls MN 55414
www.aimovement.org

the card is produced by Vision Works www.changingworld.com