MEXICAN POPOTILLA ART BY FELIPE OLAY 1940\'S-1950\'S EXCELLENT CONDITION RARE For Sale

You are looking at a collection of .... original popotilla straw mosaic paintings by Felipe L. Olay (1898-1975). This collection has been in my family since 1958. The entire collection has been away from light and stored flat in a cool environment since 1958.
My father was the original owner and I inherited this collection in 1984 where it has continued to be stored away from light and stored flat.
There are 5 pieces being offered:
2 pieces the matte is 12.0\" x 10.0\" and the art is 8.0\" x 6.0\"3 pieces the matte is 10.0\" x 12.00\" and the art is 6.0\' x 8.0\"
All signed lower F. Olay
Felipe Olay is a true master artist. What is exciting about this collection is the condition. The art is in excellent condition.The colors are bright. This collection has not been offered for sale in almost 70 years. These pieces were all donein the 1940\'s and 1950\'s. These are all original and signed.
I will be offering groups of art in each offering. Many of the pieces still have their original glassine covers. Some of the photos appearcloudy or even have a sheen, this is not on the art this is the reflection from the glassine covers.
This collection will be shipped USPS Priority Mail insured with a tracking number.Felipe Olay, Mexican, 1898 to 1975, straw mosaic artwork. Popotilla or straw mosaic is a traditional Mexican folk art believed to date back to pre-Hispanic times. The Olay family of the Coyocan area of Mexico City were famous for their popotilla works. For five generations since 1850s the Olay pieces were unsurpassed for their subject matter, design and technique.
Felipe Olay is one of the most prominent master artists of traditional Mexican popotilla (straw mosaic art). He belonged to the renowned Olay family of Coyoacan who have been legendary masters of this intricate pre-Hispanic medium for five generations.
Artist Profile: Felipe L. Olay (1898–1975)

• Full Name: Felipe L. Olay
• Lifespan: 1898 – 1975
• Origin: Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico
• Medium: Popotillo (also known as popote art or traditional Mexican straw mosaic). While he occasionally painted with watercolors and oils, his masterworks were exclusively created using dyed straw.

The Olay Family LegacyFelipe L. Olay belonged to the Olay family, a legendary dynasty of popotillo artisans based in the Coyoacán area of Mexico City. For over five generations starting in the 1850s, the Olay family was globally renowned for elevating straw mosaics from a regional folk craft into an internationally collected fine art. Other famous master artisans from his family lineage include Gabriel Olay. The family ran their own specialized shops in Mexico City, and their work was so highly regarded that it was even sold in prominent curio shops frequented by figures like the famous American photographer Edward Weston.Artistic Style & TechniqueFelipe L. Olay\'s work is celebrated for its incredible technical precision and vibrant compositions.

• The Process: His process involved taking thousands of minute, individual fragments of wild cambray/sacaton grass (popotillo), hand-dyeing them using rich pigments, and meticulously embedding them piece-by-piece onto wood panel backings layered with native beeswax.
• Signature Detail: What separates Felipe L. Olay from average artisans is the microscopic scale of his straw placement. Rather than using longer strands of grass, he used exceptionally tiny, hair-thin fragments to achieve realistic shading, fluid textures, and immense depth.
• Themes: His signature subjects captured traditional Mexican landscapes and folklore, including rural market scenes, women carrying baskets of fresh flowers or tropical fruits, and village life backdropped by the Popocatépetl volcano.