Bark paper

Amate paper

Amate paper is made from the inner bark of trees of the fig family, such as amate and jonote. The bark is boiled with lime or ash, separated into strips and laid out in a grid on a board.

It is then pounded with a stone beater until the fibers bond into a sheet. The beaters have a grooved face that helps interlace the fibers.

In pre-Hispanic times amate was used for codices, offerings and tribute. Its making survives to this day, above all in San Pablito, Puebla, where Otomí artisans still make it as they did centuries ago.

The MUNAG holds pre-Hispanic stone bark beaters, samples of amate paper and bark prepared for making it.