The Silver City

From the log kept on the August, 2011 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

For fine Mexican silver, there is no better place than the mountain-side town of Taxco. Taxco was an important silver mining town in the Spanish colonial era, and it is still the center of the country’s silver trade.

We had some reservations about taking the long overland bus ride to Taxco. The terrain was rugged, and the distance was long. And, like everyone else, we had seen the news reports of drug-related violence is some parts of Mexico. But, in the end, we decided to go for it (after all, it’s probably safer than driving on the beltline in Madison, Wisconsin). We were not disappointed.

The bus system in Mexico is fabulous. You can walk into a bus terminal, without reservations, and soon get on a bus to almost any destination of your choice. The buses are excellent, the drivers are highly professional and competent, the fares are cheap, and the buses run safely and on time. On this trip, we seldom had to wait more than 5 minutes for the bus of our choosing. The long distance buses are better than those in the U.S. (offering snacks, toilet facilities and more leg room, among other things). Local buses are a little more worn, but still adequate and fun. The passengers in the buses come from all walks of life, but are always friendly and courteous.

The bus ride to Taxco took us through the big industrial towns of Morelia and Toluca. But the countryside was beautiful, especially in the mountain region near Taxco and the spa town of Ixtapan de la Sal (not to be confused with the coastal resort town of Ixtapa). 

 

On the way we saw verdant agricultural areas (green from summer rain) producing corn, grain, vegetables, sugar cane, fruit, cattle, sheep and goats. Some fields were being worked by hand, or with teams of oxen. In some of the mountain areas near Taxco, the climate is perfect for floriculture: hundreds of acres of roses are grown in greenhouses covering every available inch of land on the steep hillsides. (The climate is also  perfect for humans: the days are delightful and, although there is ample rain at this time of year, the storms obligingly come at night.)

The road took endless switchbacks through remote mountain and forest areas, where waterfalls plunged off steep cliffs. In the late afternoon light, the golden mountain tops contrasted in high relief with deep blue canyons below. 

  

At last, we rounded a curve and looked down on the town of Taxco. Built over the centuries, at an impossible angle on a steep mountainside, the town has a fairy-tale appearance. It has white-washed buildings and steep cobbled streets that make for hard climbing. It is easy to get lost in the narrow, twisting streets, and even easier to lose your way in the walkways that climb, descend and writhe their way through the labyrinthine public market.

  

In Taxco, silver is king. Silver jewelry is crafted in home workshops for sale at dozens of retail jewelry shops throughout the town. We found a wonderful selection of brilliant (but reasonably priced) silver pieces at a shop operated by Ricardo and his wife. At Chiripa, you can find a piece that is just right for you.

Ricardo learned the jewelry business from his mother Alicia, after whom his shop is named.  Ricardo loves to play tennis (there is at least one horizontal tennis court in this vertical town), and bears an uncanny resemblance to tennis star Andre Agassiz who once reportedly visited Taxco. Ricardo laughs and tells of the time a star-struck tourist mistook him for Agassiz and nearly asked for his autograph.  -jkm

A Riot of Table Linens

From the log of the August, 2011 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

Pátzcuaro, in Michoacán, is famous for its colorful, hand-woven table linens. The linens are produced in family workshops, on hand-operated wooden looms. Marco Adame helped us select some nice patterns in his little retail shop, then took us to the workshop where other patterns were still on the looms. His little car bounced and scraped on the steep, rocky road to the workshop. But the workshop and the view were well worth the bumpy ride.  

At the workshop, we had the privilege of choosing cloth in a variety of brilliant designs that were still in the process of being woven. 

The next day, the weaving was completed, and the cloth was cut and sewn to our specifications. We picked up our completed order after sunset. You can find these lively and functional table linens, including table cloths, placemats and napkins, at Chiripa. Add fun to your table!

A Quest for Ceramics

From the Aug 2011 log on the Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

About 25 miles from Pátzcuaro, in Michoacán, is the indigenous Purépecha village of Capula -- known for its fine ceramic work. We hired a taxi to take us to the village. The taxi dropped us in the town center, and we proceeded on foot. We hoped to find Fernando Arroyo, a recognized master artisan, who makes finely decorated ceramics. Arroyo and his wife Belem were among the first Capula artisans to make ceramics with lead-free glazes.    

After a half-hour of trial-and-error, we knocked on the door of a little adobe house that we hoped was that of the Arroyo family. The door opened, and Fernando and Belem welcomed us into the family workshop.  Our eyes adjusted as we stepped down into the dark little room, which has a low ceiling, a dirt floor, and no electric lights. But just beyond the workshop there is a sunny little courtyard. The family bicycle is parked against the courtyard wall, where Arroyo has hung examples of completed works.

A special kiln, needed for the production of lead-free ceramics, stands in one corner of the workshop (the kiln serves as a storage cabinet when not in use). The workshop benches are crowded with ceramic pieces in various states of completion. You would be amazed at the stunning, elegant pieces created in these humble surroundings. We chose as many as we could carry, and Fernando packed them with newspaper in a cardboard box. 

Fernando’s son and a neighbor boy sat in the doorway, looking on. 

When the transaction was completed, the entire family gathered for a photo.

We carried the box, heavy with ceramic treasure, back to the town center (calling on other artisans along the way). There is only one taxi in Capula, and it was standing empty next to the public market. We finally tracked down the driver, a gentle and amiable man with a dry sense of humor, who agreed to drive us to Pátzcuaro. En route, he talked about his passion for the beautiful Michoacán environment, and about his efforts to reduce the plague of litter on town streets and country roads. We gave him a good tip, and he used it to buy ice cream (a Pátzcuaro specialty) for his wife. “She will love me for this,” he beamed.  -JKM

The Barter Market

From the August 2011 log on the Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

In Pátzcuaro, on certain days, the indigenous Purépecha people from surrounding villages hold a barter market on a rundown outdoor basketball court near the old church. This market is not for tourists, or even the other people of Pátzcuaro, but for the villagers themselves. The vendors trade produce of various kinds -- reckoning, say, the comparative value of peppers and dried beans. Vendors also offer an eclectic array of used clothing and household items. 

Fresh and dried fish, from the nearby lake, are also on offer. Fish have long been an important part of the Purépecha life and diet, and are a common design element in local handcrafts – including hand-made jewelry, textiles and ceramics. You can see some beautiful examples at Chiripa.

Blue Fish Platter by Fernando Arroyo, Capula, Michoacan.

Sugar Skull Demonstration October 14, 2011

Join the revelry and reunion indicative of Los Dias de los Muertos (the Days of the Dead) at Chiripa on Friday, October 14. It's the semi-annual Gallery Night sponsored by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Megan Hile Block will demonstrate sugar skull making and decorating from 6 -9 pm. We'll be serving seasonal refreshments. AND, if we're lucky and the truck arrives, you can see some of the new product from the last buying trip to Mexico. 

For those of you who cannot join us, visit Megan's terrific blog post showing the skulls she made last year with her family. Megan is an energetic young woman, a fan of Chiripa, and a BIG fan of Latin America. Her short bio is below.

Megan Hile Block is a mother, homemaker, school teacher, food blogger and chocolatier with a passionate love of Latin American culture. She has spent years immersing herself in the Spanish language at her “day job” working with bilingual schoolchildren in the Verona School District. In the evening, she dons her gourmet chef apron while creating incredible recipes inspired by the cuisine of the world. She is most recently immersing herself into the art of chocolate making. You can find out more about her work on the web at her wonderful food blog www.foodalution.com

Purépecha Silver

From the log kept on the August 2011 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

Pátzcuaro, in the mountains of Michoacán, is cooler and wetter than Guadalajara. Salvador Farfán García and his son Gustavo are the last remaining practitioners of the traditional Purépecha silver craft in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán. Salvador’s world renowned cousin Jesús Garcia Zavala, who also studied under the great maestro Casares, died a couple of years ago.

We decided to locate Salvador, but it was not easy. With luck, we managed to get Gustavo’s address from a jewelry retailer in Pátzcuaro. 

The walk past Once Patios.

The path led us past the Casa de las Once Patios, where a blind accordionist plays every day in hopes of getting a few coins from passersby. 

The mournful chords seemed as timeless and melancholy as the ancient adobe walls. We climbed the steep cobbled stairway to the hill above, from which there is a magnificent view of the city, mountains and lake.

Pátzcuaro at the top of the stairs.

We wandered through the quiet little residential district that sits up on the hill. At last, with some friendly help from local residents, we found Gustavo’s home. Gustavo graciously showed us his little workshop, where he makes fine silver jewelry on a tree stump using hammers, files, and other simple hand tools. 

Beth watches Gustavo at work on the stump.

Gustavo carefully forms a sphere from a flat disc.

Gustavo files a silver fish.

Then, he led us back down to the center of town to meet his father (from whom he learned the silver craft). 

Our pilgrimage took us to Pátzcuaro’s public market. Following Gustavo’s lead, we plunged into a warren of covered walkways – so dark and crowded that they seemed like underground tunnels. Finally, in a most unlikely location opposite a meat vendor’s stall, we found Salvador’s tiny little shop.

We picked out a fine selection of pieces, including a magnificent fish necklace of a kind that Purépecha brides-to-be traditionally received as a toke of their betrothal. We also chose hand-wrought silver earrings of a kind found nowhere else in the world. See them for yourself at Chiripa!  -JKM

Salvador and Gustavo Farfan with some of their creations.



Earrings available from Chiripa.

Guadalajara and Environs

From the log kept on the August 2011 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

Guadalajara is a big city. It has some architectural jewels, and is welcoming in a matter-of-fact, working-city sort of way. But it is not exactly quaint or charming. We visit Guadalajara because it has cheap airline connections from Chicago and because the nearby towns of Tlaquepaque and Tonalá produce a wide variety of fine artisan crafts including hand-blown glass, metalwork and ceramics. 

Beth and Jim select metalwork at Diseno Marco Polo in Tonala.

This year, at a craft exhibition in Tlaquepaque, we met Luis Fernando Gonzalez Camerena who produces lovely dancing figures, ornaments and flowers from simple corn husks. The corn husks are cleverly fashioned to resemble traditional lilies (azucenas), cala lilies (alcatraces), gladiolas and multi-colored daisies (margaritas). These bright flowers do not wilt, and they make a wonderful display or gift – especially when placed in a handmade copper, ceramic or glass vase from Chiripa!

One evening, we had time to walk in the historic center of Guadalajara. There are many beautiful colonial buildings, including the great cathedral. Street performers entertain the citizens as they stroll in the cool evening air. While watching a performing clown, we suddenly found ourselves drawn into the act – much to the amusement of the local audience. The clown presented a heart-shaped balloon to our friend Shelley, whom he had coaxed to center stage. 

Shelly is drawn into the action on the streets of Guadalajara.

Life can take a serious turn near the stoplights in Guadalajara. When the light turns red, and traffic stops, people walk between cars selling newspapers, snacks and window-washing services. Severely disabled persons may also work their way between lanes of traffic, seeking alms. The air is hot, and thick with dust and exhaust fumes.

The window washers are equipped with spray bottles and squeegies, and expertly complete their task just as the light turns green. Drivers hand over a few pesos as their cars start to move. Once in a while, the job takes a little too long and cars start honking. Or, a window washer might drop a water bottle and retrieve it casually as an accelerating car threatens to run him over.
 

At one intersection, a street performer stood in front of traffic twirling fiery batons as cars waited for the green light. The baton-twirler’s face, neck and arms were completely covered in silver paint notwithstanding the sweltering sun. On a past trip, we saw a fire-eater swallow fiery torches as his daughter collected pesos from the waiting cars. The fire eater hugged his daughter when both of them had returned to the safety of the median strip; but from our angle it looked like he was holding the flaming torch perilously close to her long dark hair. 

-jkm

Neighborhood Details

Musings from the Feb 2011 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

Most of the posts to this blog focus on the artist, the art/craft she or he creates, and the process we go through to find those special people. In the process, I'm often distracted by my surroundings. One afternoon in San Miguel de Allende (Guanajuato, Mexico) we were in search of a particular paper mache workshop. I couldn't stop myself from recording some details on our walk through a very regular neighborhood.

The sky is so blue!

Fish as rain spout; wires everywhere.

Verde (green) painted advertisement on a wall.

Bilingue/bilingual in the side of an exterior wall.

So many unexpected architectural details!

And finally we find the door that opens to a display area and workshop for some very creative paper mache.

A worker graciously pauses to show the colorful shakers.

Partners Beth And Jim M return from the Aug buying trip tomorrow, Aug 26. I wonder what photos and stories they will bring home.  kl

Copper Connections

Musings from the February 2011 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

Lourdes (Lulu) and Alfredo operate two businesses in Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacan, Mexico. Lulu manages the decorative copper shop called Casa Felicitas near the zocalo and Alfredo oversees the construction of furniture with copper panels in a business called Dona Mariquita. They are an amazing couple; fun, energetic, serious about their business, and very hard-working.

This photo was taken at the furniture exposition in Guadalajara last February. We met up with Lulu and Alfredo at the end of a long day. I must have taken dozens of shots of this dynamic couple and almost none turned out. Lulu is so expressive and energetic she's a blur on most photos.

Most of the furniture at the exposition is quite imposing, perfect for hacienda-style homes. We buy selectively knowing that many of our customers have small homes or condos. No matter the size, the copper and distressed wood is warm and inviting. And there's always a sip of tequila to warm the spirit while shopping!

We often write of forays into the hinterlands of Mexico, but in this case we travel to a huge exposition center in Guadalajara to visit our friends. There's nothing rustic about this venue! We usually breathe a sigh of relief when we leave big metropolitan areas preferring the pace of small town life in Mexico.

 

This photo of the zocalo in Santa Clara del Cobre is more indicative of our preference. One can spend ours watching people and the life of the small town. But, we seldom have time for that! When in Santa Clara del Cobre we're shopping for the perfect copper pieces for Chiripa. That always includes time with Lulu and Alfredo. 

You can see some of the copper on the Chiripa website.

Tennis Anyone?

Musings from the Feb 2011 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

One of our favorite workshops in Oaxaca is that of Jacobo and Maria Angeles in San Martin Tilcajete. It is a beehive of activity. In the midst of carving and painting and selling beautiful alebrijes (the colorful animals famous in this area), day to day life activities go on. 

We were fortunate to stop in the day some workers and friends were getting ready for a big game. The explanation of the game was that it is a kind of Zapotec (the indigenous people of this area) "tennis." 

The gloves caught our attention. They are made of leather with nails and weigh between 8 and 10 pounds. The solid rubber ball weighs between 2 and 3 pounds. Unfortunately, we were not able to come back the next day for the big match. I resolved to learn more when I came home. (Big mistake!)

The young man on the left is one of the stars. He's traveled to compete against teams in California. Jacobo sits on the couch. The young man in the white shirt wears a glove in the right hand and holds a ball. The young man on the right is Jacobo's son.

I have found very little online about the game and how it is played. The website www.oaxaca.travel has a page called "Did you know that in pre-hispanic Oaxaca tennis was played?" The game is called "juego de Pelota" (ball game)—not too descriptive. [This site may no longer be live/available.]

A book at books.google.com called: Tennis: a cultural history by Heiner Gillmeister has a good photo of the glove on a hand with the ball on p. 73.

I'd love to learn more about the game as it is played today. Please share if you have played or know something about it. Thanks. -kl

Signed by Josephina, Too!

Musings from the February 2011 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

Lizards have become a symbol of Chiripa. The colorful carved creatures have brightened our walls since we opened in 2006 and we have often used them in advertising to help identify the business. They are a popular item at Chiripa and now climb the walls of dozens of homes in Madison and beyond. 

Oscar prepares our selection for shipping.
 

Most of our lizards have had the artist's signature: Oscar Carillo, Arrazola, Oaxaca, Mexico. But Oscar is just half of the story. Oscar carves the playful creatures from copal, a soft wood abundant in that area. His wife, Josephina Morales adds the colorful painted designs. It is often the bright colors and exact details that draw a person to one lizard over another.

Josephina poses with a favorite.

A while ago a customer commented on the signature and asked if perhaps we couldn't encourage the family business to add Josephina's name to the art. I did just that in February when we visited Oscar and Josephina's workshop.

I wish I had had my camera out to capture the big grin on Josephina's face. She quickly picked up a fine pen and added her name to the pieces we selected. 

I hope that she continues to take credit for the fine work that she does. -kl

The doorway to the gallery and workshop in Arrazola.
 

From the streets of Arrazola one can see the ruins of Monte Alban in the distance.

I was taken by the colorful chickens this year. Stop in to see them!