Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Adelitas

"La Adelita" in Mexico has become an archetype of a woman warrior during the Mexican Revolution. An Adelita was a soldadera, or woman soldier, who not onlycooked and cared for the wounded but also actually fought in battles against Mexican government forces. In time the word “Adelita” was used for all the soldaderas, who became a vital force in the revolutionary war efforts.














The pictures above and on the left are examples of popular Mexican images of a sexy Adelita.

Today the term and image has evolved, and "Adelita" is used to signify a woman of great strength and courage.



Mexico By Hand salutes the Adelitas of the Mexican Revolution of 1910, as well as the millions of modern day Adelitas who also exhibit great strength and courage.

Que viva Mexico! Que vivan las Adelitas!
Here are some contemporary clay figures made by the award-winning Purepecha artist, Zenaida Rafael Julian of the village of Ocumicho.
Below, Zenaida's Adelita is riding along side a male revolutionary. The other Adelita's are armed indigenous women who often carried their babies wrapped in a rebozo on their backs.



These and other Adelita figures are available through: www.mexicobyhand.com. Please contact us for more information.