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.
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
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