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Posts Tagged ‘barro rojo’

Still lifes in Teotitlán del Valle

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on July 1, 2022| 6 Comments »

These are the scenes that soothe my soul…

Metates, molcajete, and comal.
Barro rojo and cactus.
Chiles and bean pot.
Black beans.
Cactus and agave.

A long weekend spent with my comadres and compadre at Tierra Antigua.

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Day in the land of red clay

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Flora, Food, Gardens, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 24, 2022| 6 Comments »

A couple of weeks ago, my friend K and I spent the day in the land of red clay, San Marcos Tlapazola, at the home of potter, Valentina Cruz. I have accumulated quite a collection (though not nearly as much as K) of barro rojo and several of my favorite pieces are by Valentina.

Getting there was quite the adventure. Leaving from Teotitlán del Valle (where I was spending a long weekend), the journey entailed taking a 3-wheeled moto (aka, tuk-tuk) to the highway, catching a bus to Tlacolula de Matamoros, multiple times asking for directions re where to find transportation to take us to Tlapazola, a bit of wandering around, ten blocks of walking, followed by waiting and wondering if we were in the right place. After 1/2 hour, a combi (a glorified pickup truck with wooden benches in the truck bed) arrived and took us up towards the mountains. Needless to say, the bouncing caused by the dirt roads and potholes were felt! Unfortunately, because the back of the truck was covered, we couldn’t even enjoy the views — that had to wait until we finally arrived at Valentina’s home/workshop/store.

The red clay soil isn’t just good for making pottery. Agave, cactus, corn, and squash also seem to thrive under the tender loving care of Valentina and her husband, Don Luis.

When we arrived, Valentina was busy at the tortilla press and comal — making tlayudas (large crispy tortillas) to accompany the chicken soup prepared by her daughter. After we all finished eating comida, we watched as Valentina took out a smooth river rock and began to burnish several pieces. This extra step puts a lovely sheen on her pottery and is one of the things that makes her work stand out.

Of course, I couldn’t resist buying the two horn-playing rabbits (top photo) at the tienda in her home. They join the face with the lid (also in top photo), among my many utilitarian pieces expertly crafted by Valentina. She and her beautiful barro rojo pottery can also be found at the weekly Sunday market in Tlacolula. After this lovely, but long day, we opted for her to call us a taxi to drive back to Teotitlán.

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Splendors of red clay

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 24, 2019| 4 Comments »

If one lives in Oaxaca long enough, the probability is high that you have purchased at least one piece of barro rojo pottery from the women of San Marcos Tlapazola.  Goodness knows, I have over the years — lunch plates, pitchers and urns, small decorative dishes for salsa, and, of course, a comal.  Alas, it’s hard to resist just another piece or two and so blogger buddy Chris (whose collection of barro rojo FAR exceeds mine) and I headed to San Marcos (44 km southeast of the city) last Sunday for the second day of their Esplendor Del Barro Rojo fair.

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Oh, the pottery!

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Women of San Marcos Tlapazola.

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Red clay pottery and performance watchers.

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Divinely light and flavorful higadito.

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The temptation of red clay pottery.

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The dignity and pride of an accomplished artisan (and fashionista).

It was a feast of pottery, food, music, dance, textiles, and warm and welcoming people.  What more could anyone want on a Sunday afternoon?  And, yes, I did buy a piece or two.

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