We knocked on the wooden door, not far from the center of Patzcuaro. After a pause, the door opened and we were warmly welcomed by our friends at Echery Pottery. Echery works with Barro Sin Plomo (“Clay Without Lead”), a non-profit charity that promotes lead-free pottery methods in rural communities. The effort is important for the health of artisans and their families – especially children – as well as for consumers.
Chiripa was an early supporter of this lead-free effort. But lead-free producers face competitive challenges, especially because cheaper lead-containing ceramics are still finding their way across the border for food use (often by immigrant populations) in the United States.
Our friends took us to several villages, and down dirt lanes, to the homes of participating lead-free producers. You would be amazed at the beauty that skilled artisans create in these humble and unexpected places (you can glimpse some of their work at Chiripa).
Later, we stopped at the town of Tzintzuntzan, capital of the pre-Columbian Tarascan Empire. The ancient ruins above the town command a beautiful view of the lake and surrounding mountains.
The stone ramparts were built with carefully fitted stones, without mortar. On the road below the ruins, there are workshops that carry on the stonework tradition – producing “cantera” stone carvings (garden ornaments and other statuary).
If you can’t get to Tzintzuntzan yourself, you can see some fine examples at Chiripa. --JM August 14, 2009
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