THE DEVILS OF OCUMICHO
 
The Devil is a celebrated figure in Mexico, rooted in the Spanish colonial teachings used to convert indigenous peoples. The sermons and visuals about the devil were so frequent, the Devil became a vital explanation for accidents and tragedies. The concept was an easy sale, for indigneous groups already had pre-Hispanic beliefs about the underworld and deities that explained undesirable circumstances.
 
Despite being a very devout Catholic community known historically for utilitarian pottery like bird-shaped whistles and piggy-banks made by local women, the P'urepecha village of Ocumicho became famous for their vivid and comical devil figurines in the 1960's due to an eccentric P'urepecha artist named Marcelino Vicente. Vicente defied conformity, refusing to adhere to strict gender roles and conservatism outlined by the church and his community. According to local legend, Marcelino was walking through a ravine when the devil appeared to him. The devil looked at Marcelino's pottery and said "Your statuettes lack beauty. Look at me. I am beautiful. You must use me as a model." The entity then turned to walk away, revealing a long tail, chicken feet and goat hooves. Marcelino began sculpting whimsical devils, painted in vivid colours. His creativity was soon before the attention of serious art dealers and collectors, putting Ocumicho on the map and drawing economy to what had traditionally been an impoverished and remote mountain village.   Tragedy struck when Vicente died under mysterious circumstances, with locals whispering about his sexuality being a motive for murder. But the cultural revolution had begun in his name and continues to thrive, with Ocumicho now being known as "The Town of the Devil." The women adopted his style to support their families, and today the town is bursting with flamboyant devil figures and other whimsical characters, such as mermaids and large scale village scenes depicting fruit markets, celebrations, bull dancing and other festivities.
 
There is a second origin story that may explain why Vicente believed the devil spoke to him that day. The Legend of the Pestering Demon tells of a devil that wandered into the village and began terrorizing the people. He his in trees and killed people, possessed local dogs to make the bark relentlessly, and brought illness to the villagers. They began sculpting the devil from clay, so he could posses the figurines. The strategy worked, and the demons stopped bothering the people, with his chaotic and evil energy safely trapped inside clay vessels.
 
Today, the devils of Ocumicho are found in clay figurines and dioramas including devils on motorcycles, dancing with women, passed out in a bar-scene or eating watermelons. The smiles depicted on their faces are a nod to Vicente's rule-breaking non-conformity. One comical piece we have in our collection features a chili tree (above) with a female and male devil, each with a chili in their hand. Chili's are a well known albur (double entendre) in Mexican culture, referencing male genitalia. This depiction is a humorous take on the Apple Tree in the Garden of Eden. Devils are depicted as irreverent features in many Catholic scenes, such as the smiling guests of The Last Supper, or causing problems on Noah's Ark.
 
A few years ago, we were asked to commission a nativity of devils, which the artist is certain was the first ever nativity of devils ever made in Ocumicho. In keeping with tradition, this nativity is not meant as an insult against Christianity, but rather a vessel for protecting the nativity from harm.
 
This nativity features 14 figures for $9000 MXN. If you are interested in a smaller nativity, please contact us for more information. Enjoy browsing the galleries below, where you can see each piece individually, complete with close-ups for the beautiful details. 
 
This piece will be packed in foam for protection, and shipped with insurance and tracking using Mexico's national post. We have shipped many pieces successfully using this service, which is much less expensive (but slower) than Fedex and DHL, making it affordable for heavier, bulkier parcels.