The Shaman’s Realm

August 2012 - We are traveling in Chiapas, in southern Mexico, searching for fine artisan crafts for Chiripa.  

The global economy is gradually seeping into the remote corners of Mexico, including Chiapas. But much of Chiapas is still a place apart -- a place of mystery and tradition -- a place that speaks of another time and a very different way of life. 

Village Cemetery, San Juan 

de Chamula, Chiapas

In much of Chiapas, corn is planted by hand on impossibly steep hillsides. Women and children collect large bundles of firewood from the forest, and carry the bundles for long distances on their backs. Corn is ground by hand, and mixed with lime to produce tortilla dough.

In a rural kitchen, a woman kneels on a dirt floor and tends an open wood fire. The fire heats a comal on which a woman fries the tortillas that she has formed and pressed. The dark room fills with smoke and the smell of warm tortillas as the rain falls outside. 

Making Tortillas, Chiapas

In Chiapas, things are not always what they seem. As we enter the quaint village church in San Juan de Chamula, we immediately find ourselves in a very unexpected world. No photographs are allowed within this space. The interior is dark and mysterious, and hundreds of candles flicker everywhere. 

Village Church, San Juan de Chamula

From out of the darkness we hear low repetitive chants -- not the usual chants that one might expect in a Catholic church, but deep-throated chants that remind us of Tibet or Mongolia. And then, unexpectedly, we hear the distressed screech of a chicken. 

 

Church Entrance, San Juan de Chamula

As our eyes adjust, we see tables covered with beautiful flowers (from the neighboring village of Zinacatlán, which gets charcoal from Chamula in return). The floor is covered with pine needles. Candles burn everywhere on tables and floor. As they burn down, and the wax runs across the floor, some of the pine needles begin to smolder. No one seems concerned.

Village Church, Zinacatlán

We gradually perceive family groups huddled on the floor (there are no church pews). Each group sits in front of a small makeshift altar of candles, flowers and Coca Cola bottles. Penitents drink Coca Cola to make them burp, because the burping is thought to expel evil spirits (a cynical local acquaintance once told us that the Coca Cola distributor had one of the largest houses in the village).

A shaman holds the wrists of a young girl, trying from her pulse to ascertain the source of her malady. Parents and family members kneel nearby, praying for a cure. A doomed chicken, soon to be sacrificed, is held firmly by its legs and neck. The sacrificial and curative rights will cost family members a large share of their weekly income.

Centuries-old statues of Catholic saints line the church walls, but traditional Catholic doctrine holds little sway here. Catholic priests no longer preside in this sanctuary, and from the village of Chamula many evangelical christians have been expelled. For this is the realm of the shaman, and he rules with a strong hand. -- JM

Mountains and Rain

August, 2012.  We are traveling in southern Mexico, looking for distinctive artisan crafts for Chiripa.

It is the rainy season in Oaxaca.  In the morning, strands of misty clouds hang from the lovely shoulders of the green mountains, like elegant necklaces.  

Brilliant flowers glitter in the soft air.  

After an afternoon shower, a ray of sunlight breaks through.  It drapes the weathered old cathedral in glory, and crowns it with a rainbow.

In the village of Teotitlan del Valle, weavers listen to the rain and peek out from under dripping tile roofs.  Then they lean into their work once again, crafting elegant wool rugs on wooden pedal looms.  The rugs (tapetes) emerge in glorious patterns and colors from nature.  The variety is endless, put a popular pattern is “Mountains and Rain.” 

 At Chiripa, you can see tapetes from some of the best weavers in Mexico. -JM

Around Lake Patzcuaro-Santa Fe de la Laguna

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

We don't often get to the far north side of Lake Patzcuaro. But, in the small village of Santa Fe de la Laguna one can find some of the most beautiful and contemporary-looking lead-free pottery. It is the work of Nicholas Fabian and his wife Maria del Rosario. On this trip we arrived to find no one home. And then, a Chiripa (happy accident): Maria came walking down the street and welcomed us into their home. 

 Maria wearing a traditional Purépecha rebozo 

in front of a wall of newly made pottery.

After we had selected the new product for Chiripa I asked Maria to step into their courtyard for another photo. To me, she projects pride and honor. She and Nicolas were part of the first group of potters in that area that recognized the need to switch to lead-free production techniques. She is a proud of their indigenous heritage and confident in their art. She is the one that makes the forms and Nicholas is the one who etches the designs. They are a partnership and both names are etched on the bottom of all pieces.

We were sad to miss Nicolas on this trip, but we learned that he now has access to email when he goes into town. Next time, we'll plan ahead.

A true team: Maria del Rosario and Nicholas Fabian photographed in 2008.

-kl

Around Lake Patzcuaro-Manuel Morales

Thoughts and photos from the February 2012 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

Some of our most amazing and memorable experiences traveling in Mexico come from visiting workshops in small villages. The artists are in their natural element.

Master potter Manuel Morales lives and works in Tzintzuntzan, Michoacan, Mexico. Using pre-columbian themes and geometrical designs, he has managed to combine images from his indigenous Purepecha heritage and influences from the greater world of art history. His workshop is the building that was the first hospital in that area. Manuel's work has won numerous national prizes and is coveted in the U.S. and Europe. Chiripa feels fortunate to have several new pieces on the way.

Our current (4/12) remaining piece can be found on the Chiripa website.

We first met Manuel when visiting his mother, also a potter. Ofelia Gamez died about a year ago; a great loss to the community and Chiripa.

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new shipment from Mexico. Sign up for the Chiripa mailing list (lower right corner of homepage) if you would like email notifications. -kl

The San Miguel de Allende Flea Market

Thoughts and photos from the February 2012 Chiripa buying trip to Mexico.

Markets are everywhere in Mexico. We were introduced to the Tuesday Flea Market in San Miguel de Allende. Located just outside of town, it has a circus atmosphere. Booth tarps rise from the ground with ropes and are tied together at large posts. The vendors move on to different cities in the area for the other days of the week. What a lot of work! You can find anything you need from clothes to tools to music to antiques, but, my photos seem to concentrate on the FOOD! Surprise.

The Mexican version of a Friday night Wisconsin Fish Fry!

 The best gorditas at the market!

 This is how to get kids to eat vegetables!

 Bushels of beans and anything else you can think of.

Jim M serenades our guide, Cherie. Jim L totes the bag of baskets I found.

A fun morning break. Then back to "real" shopping.  -kl

Mornings in San Miguel de Allende

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

San Miguel de Allende, in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, is an artist community welcoming visitors from all over the world, including the US. In fact, there is such a large community of US citizens and expats that people feel very comfortable visiting this idyllic town. I usually say that I prefer a more "authentic" Mexican experience, but, in fact, there is a lot to love about San Miguel.

One stumbles on art classes in almost any place. The town is beautiful with a scenic overlook, cobblestone streets and stunning cathedrals. Maybe someday I'll have time to join a class like this.

Mornings in Mexico can be a challenge for shoppers. Things don't really get going until 10 or maybe 11, or even Noon. And breakfast is sometimes hard to find. Street vendors are an option. They are busy places serving locals on their way to work. I'm not brave enough for street food, but I appreciate the effort and the delicious smells.

 

We received a recommendation for a new restaurant that is open at 8 a.m. (usually) and serves great coffee. Buen Dia, just off Reloj. It used to be called Buenas Dias and you can find reviews under that name. It's under new ownership, but the workers are the same. You can spot it by the lovely geraniums in the painted chair by the door.

I was still battling a cold at this point and mocha appealed more than straight coffee. This is what I got! It tasted as good as it looked. Buen Dia has become our every morning stop when we're in San Miguel de Allende.

Across the street from the restaurant we spotted a star just like the many we sell at Chiripa. Mexicans are a little more casual about their wiring. This photo was taken from the rooftop seating at Buen Dia.

One interesting feature in many Mexican plazas is the finely pruned wall of trees. One day we got to witness the pruning of these mammoth trees. It's all done by hand; not buzz saws; with gigantic ladders and a pruning sheers.

 

But, we have a lot of our own work to do in San Miguel de Allende and the next post will take you to some of our artist.  kl

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!

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.

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