THOUSAND-YEAR OLD TECHNIQUES

The pieces made in Amatenango del Valle are not only sold in Mexico. For many years they have also been available in the United States.

The Maya have been making ceramics the same way for centuries. To produce a bowl—a common object–—the potter sits on the ground before a wooden board. Using her hands she forms the flat, rounded base of the bowl. She then builds up the sides by placing successive ropes of clay, called gusanos (worms) on the base. She then smooths out the clay with thick experienced fingers, getting rid of the divisions to create a whole. Her hands, fingertips and palms are her principal tools, though she will use a piece of rubber and/or the flat of a knife to work the piece to an even finish. Once the bowl is molded it's left to dry in the sun for several days.

    Painting is next; brushes are store bought; the colors—mostly yellow and brown—are not. Pigments are extracted from stones the women collect in the mountains, or buy from the women of the Venustiano Carranza municipality, who collected them. The bowl's surface is rubbed with a rough stone to help the clay absorb the paint. Then comes the painting, and designs are simple: geometric figures, wavy lines, flowers, birds, suns and little bulls. The last phase of the process is the firing, an outdoor activity that all the women in the family participate in.

    The potters of Amatenango del Valle produce cookware, ritual ceramics and decorative items. Ashtrays, tiny dolls, great water jugs, plates, pots, and planters are also commonly made. The adornos (decorative items, though most of their products are utilitarian) are commonly sunbursts, half moons and a variety of animal figures, especially doves.