Josefina Aguilar (B. 1945) Mexican, Sculpted Clay Figurine. Signed on back. Virgin of Guadalupe. 

Condition: Small chips throughout. 

Size: 9 x 7 x 9 1/4 in. 

#3395 #11 . 

Josefina Aguilar was born in 1945 in Ocotlán de Morelos, a rural town in Oaxaca, Mexico. Her mother Isaura Alcantara Diaz began creating decorative figures with her husband Jesus Aguila Revilla in the early 1940s, and the couple taught their five daughters from an early age. They all continued innovating their own styles following Isaura’s death in 1969 and Jesus’ death in 1976, with two more generations after them involved in the business. Two of Josefina’s sisters, Guilliermina and Irene, are world-famous for their sets of figures related to the life and traditions of Oaxaca, as well as Mexican icons such as Frida Kahlo and the Virgin of Guadalupe. All of their pieces are crafted in great detail and vivid colors and are primarily female figures, generally shown in indigenous garb. Josefina is best known for her small clay figurines called muñecas (dolls), using red clay to create depictions of everyday village activities, religious and folkloric scenes, famous figures, and special Day of the Dead statues. Finished figures have to dry indoors for a week (direct sunlight would cause them to crack) before the family fires them in a rustic wooden kiln for nine hours. Many figures are lost to breakage, but those that survive the firing process have to cool overnight before they can be painted. The Aguilars sell their artwork on trestle tables set up in the open courtyard of their five-family complex. Nelson Rockefeller first discovered her work on a trip to Oaxaca in 1975, and bought numerous pieces which sparked interest back in the United States. Income from his purchases alone allowed Aguilar and her husband to purchase the land where the clay for the family work was sourced. Previously, the family paid weekly for the clay they used from this land. By the beginning of the 21st Century she was considered the matriarch of the family, handling most of the business details while still crafting when she could. In 2014 she went blind, and now uses touch to create her art along with the assistance of her sons Demetrio and Jose Juan Garcia. Josefina’s work is displayed in the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, the Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin, the San Antonio Museum of Art, and the Mexican Museum in San Francisco.

Small chips throughout.