I have got a monkey on my back, among other places. We have monkeys in the kitchen, monkeys in the office, monkeys in the storeroom, monkeys coming, and monkeys going. You might say we are living at the mescal monkey epicenter.

What is a mescal monkey? This rare creature is a low-fired, earthenware, mold-made, hand-painted souvenir bottle made to hold mescal—that oh-so fiery, smoky, home-brewed, tequila-like stuff made in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. And why would anyone go out of his or her way to accumulate about 200 such gruesome little guys and gals? Like many of the creations of folk cultures throughout the world, these useful but also artful handmade objects are in danger of disappearing as mass-produced goods crowd the marketplace. Mescal monkey bottles can be added to an endangered list that includes many types of hand-woven or embroidered textiles, a large part of hundreds of cultures’ utilitarian pottery, and handmade toys.

Mexico, as one of the most creative, innovative, productive, and varied centers of folk culture, has given the world an abundance of folk art, but it is anyone’s guess how much longer this will continue. Over the years, our concern with the diminishing nature of folk art in the Americas has led us to ford rivers barefoot, take wild mountainous rides, and enter sketchy slums. It has taken us upon any number of door-to-door crawls in remote villages, where we are confronted by large dogs and disbelieving villagers: Who are these crazy gringos? How did they get here? And why are they in search of an old mescal bottle or whatever else happens to be the obsession du jour?

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