Curing Set, Juego del Aire (for adult)

NameSculpture

Artist María del Refugio Reyes Hernandez

Date1997

Place madeTlayacapan, Morelos, Mexico, North America

MediumCeramic, whitewash, acrylic paint, glitter

Dimensionsa. patient: 1 3/8 × 3 1/8 × 4 3/4 in. (3.5 × 8 × 12 cm)
b. man with dove: 4 5/8 × 1 3/4 × 2 1/2 in. (11.8 × 4.5 × 6.4 cm)
c. bull: 4 3/16 × 1 15/16 × 4 5/8 in. (10.7 × 5 × 11.8 cm)
d. coyote: 4 1/2 × 1 15/16 × 4 3/4 in. (11.5 × 4.9 × 12 cm)
e. snake: 1 5/16 × 1 9/16 × 7 1/16 in. (3.3 × 3.9 × 18 cm)
scorpion: 1 5/8 × 2 × 3 9/16 in. (4.2 × 5.1 × 9 cm)
g. centipede: 5/8 × 1 15/16 × 5 7/8 in. (1.6 × 5 × 15 cm)
h. coiled snake: 2 1/16 × 1 3/4 × 1 13/16 in. (5.2 × 4.4 × 4.6 cm)
i. lizard: 1 7/8 × 2 3/4 × 6 1/2 in. (4.8 × 7 × 16.5 cm)
j. dove: 1 1/4 × 1 × 1 15/16 in. (3.1 × 2.5 × 5 cm)
k. spider: 1 9/16 × 3 1/16 × 2 13/16 in. (4 × 7.8 × 7.1 cm)
l. toad: 1 7/16 × 2 7/16 × 2 5/8 in. (3.7 × 6.2 × 6.7 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, IFAF Collection, FA.2014.27.2a-l

Object numberFA.2014.27.2a-l

DescriptionTwelve piece adult's curing set includes: a) Patient in bed: figure with pink head, hands, and feet reclining on pink mat with initials "F.H." painted black with glitter at base; body of figure white with black stripes and glitter; hair, eyes, and eyebrows are black, mouth is red; head rests on white pillow; arms slightly raised; short stripes painted black with glitter around perimeter of mat. b) Man with dove: standing man holds dove in outstretched arms; heads of man and dove are both pink with black eyes; hair, eyes, and eyebrows of man are black; black stripes with glitter on white body of man; black ring with glitter on white body of dove; mouth of man and beak of dove red; man stands on pink platform with intitial "F.H." at front. c) Bull: bull with pink head and ears, black eyes and horns, which project forward from head; body and long curving tail are white with black stripes and glitter; tip of tail is flattened; feet are black with glitter; ring around neck is also black with glitter. d) Coyote: coyote with pink head and ears; black ring around neck; body and long, straight tail are white with black stripes and glitter; feet are black; eyes are large and black; ears are pointed. e) Snake: snake with long, undulating body; head is raised; head and tip of tail are pink; eyes are slanted and black; head comes to a beak-like point which is red; body is white with black stripes and glitter; three black spots with glitter on tail, including one at the tip. f) Scorpion: scorpion with pair of double pincers curving forward from head, which is pink; long pincers are black with glitter; eyes are black with glitter; mouth is red; tail arches forward over body coming to a sharp point; body and six legs are white with black stripes and glitter; pink rings around legs above feet which are black with glitter; two pink rings at end of tail; ring near end of tail and point at tip are black with glitter. g) Centipede: centipede with white body and black stripes with glitter; sixteen legs are white with black spots and glitter; pink rings above feet that are black with glitter; pair of double black pincers with glitter extend forward from pink head; eyes are black with glitter; double tail is glittery black over a pink base. h) Coiled Snake: snake with pink head rising above triple coil; black eyes at back of head which comes to a red beak-like point; end of tail is pink with two glittery black spots near tip; tip is black with glitter; body is white with black stripes and glitter; ring around neck below head is black with glitter. i) Lizard: lizard raised up by two bowed front legs and two jointed back legs; feet are flattened; body and legs are white with black stripes and glitter; head, feet, and ring near end of tail are pink; bulging eyes and tip of tail are black with glitter; mouth is red; claws on all four feet are defined by black stripes with glitter. j) Dove: a whistle (shaped like a dove) with pink head and white body; wings and feathers on body defined by black paint and glitter; hole in tail and another on top of body at back; ring at base of neck is black with glitter; one black eye; other eye was either not painted or, more likely, chipped off; spot where second eye should be is pale with one speck of black paint. k) Spider: spider with pink head; white body has stripes painted black with glitter; six legs, also white with glittery black stripes, protrude and drop down from body to support it; two black eyes below two antennae that project forward from head and are painted black with glitter; pink ring above each foot that are all painted black with glitter. l) Toad: toad with bulbous body raised up on two curved front legs and resting on two jointed back legs; body and legs are white with black stripes and glitter; small head is pink with bulging black eyes; mouth is red; feet are pink and flattened; black stripes with glitter also on feet.