November 22, 2019
Local Tzeltal Artisans
I’m not sure what prompted me to learn about artisan pottery making. We buy occasionally from the family shown on this page. I think I’d just seen my brother a month previously and he’s quite a good potter. So thought to show him how it’s done here.
To get the full picture I split my time into 2 sessions separated by about 2 weeks. The first was about forming the pieces. They make a batch over a couple of weeks and then do a big firing. Obviously nothing at all like kiln firing.
The firing day fortunately I had the daughter there. None of the older women spoke Spanish.
There’s not much to say since I’m not an expert. I’ll simply put the pictures in order and make comments there.
On the map below I show the drive from the house to the workshop and tienda location. Enjoy.
Day 1 – Making the pieces
Getting Sand. It’s mixed with clay to make the finish piece less brittle. 
Straining the sand fine with a piece of cloth. 
Hauling the sand back to the workshop. 
Tienda, home, workshop 
Make up the clay 
Forming a simple pot. 
Shaping 
Finishing 
Tools. Shaping knife and polishing stone. 
Making a breakable pot used for piñatas 
Polishing 
Setting out to dry 
day 2 – Firing the pieces
Start with three fires to make coals. And not incidentally additionally drying the pieces. 
When the coals get close lay out the pieces with rocks to keep them from touching. 
Then lay coals between the pieces 
Build a pottery pyre. 
Then just let it catch fire and burn until the fuel is all gone. 
A rest break while waiting for the pyre to burn out. 
All done. Start pulling it down. 
Finishing up and letting them cool.
Decoration and Display
Painting 
Storefront. 
Tienda, home, workshop 
Another place down the road where we went for corn on the cob 
Maria doctoring her corn 
roasted on a portable comal