Brilliant and Disappearing Arts

February, 2013. We are traveling in the highlands of Michoacán, in south-central Mexico, looking for fine artisan crafts for Chiripa.

Victor Aguila has worked with the indigenous potters in the village of Capula for decades. Years ago, he went door-to-door trying to convince the artisans to switch to lead-free glazes. His pioneering work was originally sponsored by Barro Sin Plomo (Clay Without Lead), an organization that has since taken its lead-free crusade worldwide.

Victor Greets an Old Friend in Capula

As he wanders through the village craft market, Victor takes satisfaction in many successes. Many of the local artisans have switched to lead-free methods, which are more expensive but safer for artisans and their families (as well as consumers). But the overall market for traditional village ceramics has declined. “When I started, there were over 400 ceramics artisans in Capula,” says Victor. “Now there are fewer than 100.”  In today’s economy, skilled village artisans have a hard time making a living from their work.

Victor takes us to the homes of several families who still produce beautiful traditional ceramic ware, and who use only lead-free methods. Chiripa has worked with some of the families, such as the Juan Rosas family, for years. Others, like the Rogelio Martinez family, we are meeting for the first time. All of the artisans are happy to see us, because they need money for tortillas and for their children’s schooling.  We buy as much as we think we can possibly sell, and maybe a little more.

Martinez Family, Lead-Free Ceramics

The village of Capula is also known for producing exquisite ceramic catrinas (elaborate skeleton figures that dress and act as if they were alive). These catrinas are not exactly a traditional art form, although they certainly have roots in the indigenous Mexican culture. In the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries, the Mexican illustrator Jose Posada used catrinas in his widely published works to lampoon the pretensions of the rich upper classes, and to make other irreverent comments on Mexican life. The skeletons spoke to the unsettling (yet humorous) truth below the surface of things. They soon took on a life of their own (so to speak), and have now become a wildly popular folk art form.

Carlos and Big Catrina

You can see many kinds of catrinas throughout Mexico. They are cleverly rendered in many media, from pen-and-ink to oil paint to papier mache.  But you will see nothing more exquisite than the finely-sculpted ceramic catrinas produced by the best artists of Capula. They come in many sizes and styles, and strike a variety of absurd, elegant, proud, merry, tragic and haunting poses. We bought some good examples from Candelaria Hernandez and Carlos de la Cruz, and asked the artists to pack them really well.  Most survived the long and bumpy trip to Wisconsin, and you can see them at Chiripa. - JM

How We Bring Beauty to You-Part 2

Photos and thoughts from the 2012 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

Continued from the last post. . .
We eventually regrouped, gulped down some liquid yogurt for lunch, used the baño, and hailed a cab on the street. We told the cab driver we wanted to go to the village of Capula, a center of indigenous ceramic craft. The driver whistled, scrunched up his face and calculated: “Pues, es muy lejos...” (translation: “it’s very far” -- i.e., “it’s going to cost you a bundle”). We agreed on an estimated fare, jumped into the cab and headed out. On the way we passed miles of stone fences, laboriously constructed over the centuries – each stone lifted and set by strong brown hands. The fences looked like they had always been there.
 
In Capula, after bumping down many wrong streets and asking many puzzled bystanders, we finally rediscovered the home of the Juan Rosas family (whom we had not seen for 2 years).  Their son Juan (“Chino”), a brilliant ceramic painter who has won national awards, opened the door. Chino recognized us immediately and sent word to his father, who was in the market. Juan ran the entire distance, and leaned against a wall to catch his breath before he could speak to us. His wife Lourdes joined us later:  “Qué Milagro!” (“What a Miracle”) she said. “We have been thinking about you, and wondering why you hadn’t been back. But now here you are!” Her beautiful smile spread from ear to ear.

 Lourdes with her three sons: 
Brian (Koby), Juan Jr (Chino) and Misael (translator and accountant)

We bought some fine ceramics from the Juan Rosas family, while others gathered around to watch. The family will pack and deliver the ceramics to a stone carver in another village. The stone carver (with whom we had already placed an order), will carry the stone and ceramic pieces to Guadalajara in a pickup truck (we hope they get there). In Guadalajara, crafts from our many other Mexican stops will be consolidated in similar fashion for export to Chiripa.  The daisy chain process takes months.

In Capula, we also bought some delicate ceramic Catrinas from other sellers. These had to be wound in toilet paper and bubble wrap, carefully placed in a box, and carried with us to Patzcuaro. It was getting late in the afternoon, and the taxi driver was getting nervous.  Finally, we were ready. 

The stone carvings in Tzintzuntzan seem to grow up from the ground.

On the way back to Patzcuaro, we stopped to see the stone carver and tell him about the ceramics shipment that would be coming his way. He was eating a light meal with friends, at a makeshift outdoor table under a shade tree. At sunset, the taxi driver finally dropped us at our hotel and we give him a handsome tip (“Muy bién,” he beamed).
 

We left the box of delicate Catrinas in our room and used the baño.  After a long and hard day’s work, we decided that we deserved supper and a beer (“merecemos una cerveza”) at Lupita (photo of patio seating on the left), a new favorite restaurant up near the Basilica.  But first, we had to visit the artisans selling woven linens and milagro hearts....   -JKM

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

Dining Room with a View

From the log kept by JM on the August 2010 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

August 21, 2010. It seemed like a fine morning to eat at the Hotel de la Basilica. The hotel, which sits on a hill in the center of Patzcuaro, is named for the basilica that sits just across the street. The basilica was constructed from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Its huge bells ring out across the city, a soulful reminder to faithful and unfaithful alike.

The hotel dining room offers splendid views over a jumble of red-tiled roofs (reminiscent of hill towns in Italy) to the lake and mountains beyond. Morning clouds hang half-way up the mountains. The dining room is small, but we have our choice of tables because tourists are scarce these days. The hot coffee is delicious on a cool morning.

 A lovely table setting features hand-made ceramic plates from the nearby village of Capula. (Chiripa has just a few of these very same plates which are made with a lead-free glaze.) The centerpiece is a colorful, handmade castle of firecrackers (not available at Chiripa), of the sort commonly put to use at fiestas here. The centerpiece also includes hand-woven straw ornaments from the nearby town of Tzintzuntzan (which we plan to visit after breakfast). Heavy, hand-blown glassware and hand-formed ceramic mugs complete the table setting.

In Patzcuaro, hand-woven table linens are also a specialty. Men weave the fabric on heavy wooden looms. Skilled seamstresses then fashion the fabric into napkins, placemats and tablecloths. At Chiripa you can find Patzcuaro table linens in a riot of bright colors. They look great with hand-made ceramic plates from Capula and hand-blown glassware from Tlaquepaque! Enjoy the colors, textures and hand-made character of Mexico in your home.

A Great Idea!

Retail shops like Chiripa benefit from customer feedback. Recently, one family purchased a cookie jar for their kitchen counter. But, it wasn't going to hold cookies! Their great idea was to use the covered jar to hide their kitchen compost container. They loved the idea of a beautiful hand-painted piece on their counter instead of the ugly plastic container with their kitchen scraps. I wanted to pass on the idea to my readers. Here are a couple photos of a jar in action.

It's strawberry season in Wisconsin. Time for a pie.

Who would know that this beautiful jar hides the scraps?

"Cookie/Compost Jar" by Ferdinand Arroyo, Capula, Michoacan, Mexico.

Any other ideas?

Names and Faces

Chiripa is committed to promoting the artists who's work we carry. We often give customers copies of the photos we set by the beautiful crafts that we sell. One thing that sets us apart from other "galleries" who offer bios of artists is that we travel to the places where the artists work and live. That means long trips to remote places in Mexico. It's the heart of this business.

The following photo is one of my favorites from the Feb 2009 trip. The Juan Rosas Family in Capula, Michoacan has been featured previously on this blog. (See post from March, 2008.) This was the first time that the entire family was at home at the time we arrived.


I want to put names with faces. On the far left (on my right) is Juan Rosas, the father of the family. On my left is Lordes Martinez Reyes, the wife and mother. Behind her is Juan Manuel Rosas Martinez, or Chino. All three of them are master potters and/or painters. To Chino's right (behind me and Lordes) is Missael Enrique Rosas Martinez, a quiet boy who's learning English in school. He got to practice with the Gringos! And to Enrique's right is Jim M the "translator" of our group. In the front is Brian (Kobe) Rosas Martinez. Kobe, like most children we meet is fascinated by Jim L's white beard. Many think they are seeing Santa Claus as we tour Mexico.

That was one stop on one day in February. We hope there will be more visits with the Juan Rosas Family. You can find some of their pottery for sale on our website. That link will take you to pottery. Enter "Juan Rosas" in the search field and you'll see what we currently feature.

We were delighted to hear today that the shipment from that February trip is almost here. There will be a delay before I have time to post again.