San Bartolo Coyotepec
Encyclopedia
San Bartolo Coyotepec is a town and municipality
located in the center of the Mexican state of Oaxaca
. It is in the Centro District
of the Valles Centrales region
about fifteen km south of the capital of Oaxaca
.
The town is best known for its Barro negro pottery - black clay pottery. For hundreds of years pottery has been made here with a gray matte finish, but in the 1950s a technique was devised to give the pieces a shiny black finished without painting. This has made the pottery far more popular and collectable. The town is home to the Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (State Museum of Popular Art of Oaxaca) which was opened here in 2004, with a large portion of its collection consisting of barro negro pottery. There is also a barro negro mural on the recently- opened Baseball Academy.
n Zapotec civilization
going back at least 2500 years, with the oldest archeological finds being in the Valley of Oaxaca
. Its Zapotec language name is Zaapeche, place of many jaguar
s (Panthera onca). Many Archaeological sites in Oaxaca are nearby, including the Monte Albán
with UNESCO
World Heritage Site
ranking and importance.
, which has been a making pottery
for about 2,000 years. The clay of this area produces a distinctive color, which for most of San Bartolo’s history was a Grey
matte
. This clay has been used to produce utilitarian objects such as jar
s, dish
es and other storage containers.
The techniques for making the pottery have changed little during these centuries, with plates serving as potters’ wheels and design remaining traditional. One change has been the replacement of underground pits by kiln
s for firing the pieces. However, the most important innovation has been a polishing method devised by ceramic artist and potter
Doña Rosa in the 1950s. Doña Rosa discovered that by polishing the nearly-dry clay before firing, the gray color turned to a shiny black. This has made the pottery far more popular and many pieces are produced now for decorative purposes rather than utilitarian. Since then, the aesthetic qualities of "barro negro" (black clay) pottery has become further appreciated due to the work of artisan-sculpture Carlomagno Pedro Martinez, who has displayed his barro negro work nationally and internationally.
arrived with Spanish conquest and occupation of the Zapotec peoples region in 1521. It was first renamed 'San Jacinto Leóntepec,' It then changed again to 'San Bartolomé Coyotepec,' by Bartolomé Sanchez, a soldier of Hernán Cortés
awarded a local Encomienda
. The first church was built in 1532. From its Spanish foundation was one of the larger settlements with three neighborhoods. This settlement was laid out by the same architect that designed the city of Oaxaca.
Vicente Guerrero
passed through here after he was taken prisoner, and Porfirio Díaz
hid here during the French Intervention in Mexico
.
or other markets, one can find regional dishes such as mole negro, mole coloradito
, cequeza, higaditos and stews made from chicken or turkey. There are some pre-Hispanic remains of buildings which were ceremonial centers or houses for the ruling class. Next to the town is the hill called Zaapech or Jaguar Mountain which has always been considered sacred.
One of the major festivals here is Candlemas. The patron saint, Bartholomew the Apostle is feasted in August. During festivals such as these, local traditional dances such as De la Pluma and De los Jardineros Moros y Cristianos can been seen. Both date from the Spanish Conquest.
, was founded in 2004 to promote and preserve the traditional crafts of this state. The museum was designed by and is cared for by a commission of craftsmen from San Bartolo Coyotepec. The museum sponsors events such as the "Tianguis artisanal", a crafts flea market
, along with other civic groups.
The museum’s roots extend to 1905, when local resident Manuel Guzmán donated land for the establishment of a cultural center. The site was used first as a municipal library and then as a primary school. However, it was not until 1994 when a group of youths worked to build a museum that would be dedicated to barro negro pottery. That same year, the state government allocated 25,000 pesos to rehabilitate the building on the site, and local artist Carlomagno Pedro Martinez raised 80,000 pesos to install modern equipment. In 1996, the museum was founded as the community museum, with its initial collection. In that year, it sponsored, along with ARIPO - Artesanías e Industrias Populares del estado de Oaxaca, the first crafts competition. The museum struggled for a while financially until it signed a cooperation agreement with the 'Instituto Oaxaqueño de las Culturas,' the Oaxaca Institute of Cultures, which required a restructuring of the museum. In 2002, the community museum closed with the aim of building the current one.
In 2004, the current museum opened with the aim of presenting the crafts history of the entire state of Oaxaca, Mexico
. The museum has held temporary exhibits such as "Mujeres tejiendo historias" (Women knitting stories), "Grandes Maestros del Arte Popular de Oaxaca" (Grand Masters of Popular Art in Oaxaca) and "Historia y evolución del barro negro" (History and evolution of barro negro pottery). The new museum opened with new furniture and designed to international standards. The idea is to create a collection of popular art that represents the eight regions of the state of Oaxaca.
The mission is to promote Oaxacan handcrafts and popular art to the state's, Mexican, and international communities, as well as foster exchanges among artisan
s and promote tourism based on craft
s. This includes the weaving
and textile arts
in Oaxacan traditions. The museum was built here to decentrale state cultural institutions. The museum offers guided tours in Spanish and English, workshops for adults and children, and spaces to rent for events.
having a collection of her pieces. Doña Rosa died in 1980, but the tradition of making the barro negro pottery is being carried on by Doña Rosa’s daughter and grandchildren who stage demonstrations for tourists. The workshop
is still in the family home, where shelves and shelves of shiny black pieces for sale line the inner courtyard
. Despite being the origin of black
polished
clay
, the pieces at the Doña Rosa Workshop are less expensive than in other parts of Mexico.
, a large jar which can be used for liquid storage or as a musical instrument and the "chango mezcalero" or mezcal monkey. This is a clay container in the shape of a monkey
to hold mezcal
, Oaxaca main distilled spirit, which has become a collectable folk art item. The container can be painted in bright colors or left in its gray color with detailed etching. The small opening at the top is plugged by a stopper of cork or corncob
. These bottles are sized to hold about 700 to 1000 milliliters of liquid and were originally meant to serve as decorative containers in bar
s.
Two families claim to have originated this clay bottle. The first is that of Doña Rosa. The family believes that Doña Rosa’s husband, Juventino Nieto, invented the design at the request of cantina
operators from the city of Oaxaca
. Other animal forms were also designed as created as well, but the monkey one gained notoriety. The other family to lay claim to the mezcal monkey is that of Marcelo Simón Galan, now deceased. This family claims that he used to travel with his grey pottery pieces, which included water bottle
s and jars. Like the Doña Rosa family, this family claims the design was created upon request, with Marcelo doing the potting and others the painting. One of Marcelo’s mezcal monkeys is on display at the state crafts museum.
in Oaxaca city
. He has become the first potter
-artist-sculptor in the medium, winning his first recognition in 1985 for his work Tlaquepaque
, Jalisco
. His fame increased with his development of human skull
s made of barro negro in the years that followed. In Mexico, he has exhibited his work in dozens of expositions and has won three national level awards. His work has also been featured in five published books. Martinez’s work has been exhibited in countries such as the United States, Colombia
, Argentina
, Lebanon
, Germany
, Spain
, and Japan
, with one of the latest exhibits in New York City
in 2008. In that same year, he created a mural
in barro negro at the Baseball Academy in San Bartolo Coyotepec sponsored by the Alfredo Harp Helú
Foundation. Each piece Carlomagno makes is unique in some way, but certain themes such as oral histories
, indigenous legends, certain Christian themes and death, called "our grandmother."
, Santa Catarina Quiane
, San Martín Tilcajete
, Santo Tomás Jalieza
, San Juan Teitipac
and Villa de Zaachila
.
The most important elevations are Piedra Redonda, Chivaguia Grande, Chivaguia Chica, Guinise Grande, Loma del Cuche, La Peñas and Guibetes. The Atoyac and Valiente Rivers pass through here. The municipality has a temperate
climate with winds mostly from the north.
Agriculture
employ about 19% of the population growing vegetables such as corn, beans and squash blossom
, as well as decorative flowers such as daisies, Mexican marigold
s and poinsettia
s. Orchard
s here produce orange
s, mango
s, mamey sapote
s, black sapote
s, guava
s and other tropical fruit. Livestock includes domestic fowl, pigs, cattle and sheep. About 33% are involved in mining and industry, with most of this population dedicated to the making of barro negro pottery. The rest of the population, about 45% is employed in commerce.
was founded in San Bartolo Coyotepec by Alfredo Harp Helú
. The academy has six instructors and can accommodate sixty students of between fourteen and seventeen years of age. The goal is to prepare young people who hope to have a career in the sport, while supporting the completion of their education. It is the first of its kind in Mexico and the founder hopes that there will be more. The facilities cover more than ten hectares and include a library, computer center, three baseball field
s, and living quarters for students. Murals were commissioned for the project including "El camino del Sol for el cielo" by José Luis Garcia and a barro negro mural by Carlomagno Pedro called "Juego en el inframundo."
Municipalities of Mexico
Municipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...
located in the center of the Mexican state of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
. It is in the Centro District
Centro District, Oaxaca
Centro District is located in the Valles Centrales Region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. The district includes the state capital Oaxaca and satellite towns.The district has an average elevation of 1,550 meters....
of the Valles Centrales region
Valles Centrales de Oaxaca
The Valles Centrales is a region in the heart of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.It includes the districts of Etla, Centro, Zaachila, Zimatlán, Ocotlán, Tlacolula and Ejutla...
about fifteen km south of the capital of Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
.
The town is best known for its Barro negro pottery - black clay pottery. For hundreds of years pottery has been made here with a gray matte finish, but in the 1950s a technique was devised to give the pieces a shiny black finished without painting. This has made the pottery far more popular and collectable. The town is home to the Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (State Museum of Popular Art of Oaxaca) which was opened here in 2004, with a large portion of its collection consisting of barro negro pottery. There is also a barro negro mural on the recently- opened Baseball Academy.
History
The area was the settled homeland of the ancient MesoamericaMesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
n Zapotec civilization
Zapotec civilization
The Zapotec civilization was an indigenous pre-Columbian civilization that flourished in the Valley of Oaxaca of southern Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence shows their culture goes back at least 2500 years...
going back at least 2500 years, with the oldest archeological finds being in the Valley of Oaxaca
Valley of Oaxaca
The Valley of Oaxaca is a geographic region located within the modern day State of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. The valley, which is located within the Sierra Madre Mountains, is shaped like a distorted and almost upside-down “Y,” with each of its arms bearing specific names: the northwestern Etla...
. Its Zapotec language name is Zaapeche, place of many jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
s (Panthera onca). Many Archaeological sites in Oaxaca are nearby, including the Monte Albán
Monte Albán
Monte Albán is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site in the Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán Municipality in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca...
with UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
ranking and importance.
Pottery community of 2,000 years
San Bartolo is a Zapotec communityCommunity
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
, which has been a making pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
for about 2,000 years. The clay of this area produces a distinctive color, which for most of San Bartolo’s history was a Grey
Grey
Grey or gray is an achromatic or neutral color.Complementary colors are defined to mix to grey, either additively or subtractively, and many color models place complements opposite each other in a color wheel. To produce grey in RGB displays, the R, G, and B primary light sources are combined in...
matte
Gloss (material appearance)
Gloss is an optical property, which is based on the interaction of light with physical characteristics of a surface. It is actually the ability of a surface to reflect light into the specular direction. The factors that affect gloss are the refractive index of the material, the angle of incident...
. This clay has been used to produce utilitarian objects such as jar
Jar
A jar is a rigid, approximately cylindrical container with a wide mouth or opening. Jars are typically made of glass, ceramic, or plastic. They are used for foods, cosmetics, medications, and chemicals that are relatively thick or viscous...
s, dish
Dish
Dish or DISH may refer to:*Dish, Texas*Dish , something prepared to be eaten*Dishware, plates and bowls for eating*Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, a form of arthritisEntertainment*Dish antenna a type of antenna...
es and other storage containers.
The techniques for making the pottery have changed little during these centuries, with plates serving as potters’ wheels and design remaining traditional. One change has been the replacement of underground pits by kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
s for firing the pieces. However, the most important innovation has been a polishing method devised by ceramic artist and potter
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
Doña Rosa in the 1950s. Doña Rosa discovered that by polishing the nearly-dry clay before firing, the gray color turned to a shiny black. This has made the pottery far more popular and many pieces are produced now for decorative purposes rather than utilitarian. Since then, the aesthetic qualities of "barro negro" (black clay) pottery has become further appreciated due to the work of artisan-sculpture Carlomagno Pedro Martinez, who has displayed his barro negro work nationally and internationally.
Spanish era
The end of the Pre-Columbian eraPre-Columbian era
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
arrived with Spanish conquest and occupation of the Zapotec peoples region in 1521. It was first renamed 'San Jacinto Leóntepec,' It then changed again to 'San Bartolomé Coyotepec,' by Bartolomé Sanchez, a soldier of Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
awarded a local Encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
. The first church was built in 1532. From its Spanish foundation was one of the larger settlements with three neighborhoods. This settlement was laid out by the same architect that designed the city of Oaxaca.
Vicente Guerrero
Vicente Guerrero
Vicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña was one of the leading revolutionary generals of the Mexican War of Independence, who fought against Spain for independence in the early 19th century, and served briefly as President of Mexico...
passed through here after he was taken prisoner, and Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
hid here during the French Intervention in Mexico
French intervention in Mexico
The French intervention in Mexico , also known as The Maximilian Affair, War of the French Intervention, and The Franco-Mexican War, was an invasion of Mexico by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain...
.
The town
The center of the town is similar to that of the city of Oaxaca, with a main plaza, parish church and municipal palace. In the tianguisTianguis
A tianguis is an open air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases essentially unchanged into the present day....
or other markets, one can find regional dishes such as mole negro, mole coloradito
Mole (sauce)
Mole is the generic name for a number of sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces...
, cequeza, higaditos and stews made from chicken or turkey. There are some pre-Hispanic remains of buildings which were ceremonial centers or houses for the ruling class. Next to the town is the hill called Zaapech or Jaguar Mountain which has always been considered sacred.
One of the major festivals here is Candlemas. The patron saint, Bartholomew the Apostle is feasted in August. During festivals such as these, local traditional dances such as De la Pluma and De los Jardineros Moros y Cristianos can been seen. Both date from the Spanish Conquest.
Mercado Artesanal (Crafts Market)
However two of the main attractions for the town are Mercado Artesanal (Crafts Market) filled mostly with barro negro pottery and the Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (State Museum of Popular Art of Oaxaca).State Museum of Popular Art of Oaxaca - MEAPO
The Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca - MEAPO, the State Museum of Popular Art of OaxacaMuseo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca
The Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca or MEAPO is a small museum located in the municipality of San Bartolo Coyotepec just south of the city of Oaxaca in Mexico...
, was founded in 2004 to promote and preserve the traditional crafts of this state. The museum was designed by and is cared for by a commission of craftsmen from San Bartolo Coyotepec. The museum sponsors events such as the "Tianguis artisanal", a crafts flea market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
, along with other civic groups.
- The museum has three halls.
- The first exhibits some of the finest pieces of barro negro pottery from San Bartolo Coyotepec as well as archeological finds from the area.
- The second contains 92 pieces of prizewinners from the Concurso Estatal de Cerámica "Benito Juárez" (Benito Juarez State Ceramics Competition) which is sponsord by the 'Artesanias e Industrias Populares del Estado de Oaxaca' -ARIPO, and contains various types of pottery and ceramics from Santa Maria AtzompaSanta María AtzompaSanta María Atzompa is a town and municipality located in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, about five km from the state capital of Oaxaca.It is part of the Centro District in the Valles Centrales region. The town was founded between the 7th and 9th centuries as a satellite of the ancient Zapotec city...
, San Marcos Tlapazola, Tamazulapan, OcotlánOcotlánOcotlán is a city and municipality in Jalisco, Mexico. Its industry includes furniture production.-Toponymy:The toponym Ocotlán means: "near the pines" or "place of the ocote ". Ocote is from the Náhuatl ocōtl, Pinus montezumae, a species of pine, .-History:Ocotlán was founded in 1530. Two main...
, and San Antonino Castillo VelascoSan Antonino Castillo VelascoSan Antonino Castillo Velasco is a town and municipality located south of the city of Oaxaca, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca.It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
. - The third hall contains examples of the woodworkingWoodworkingWoodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
of the San Martín TilcajeteSan Martín TilcajeteSan Martín Tilcajete is a town and municipality located about from the city of Oaxaca, in the state of Oaxaca, in the south of Mexico.It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
community. Craftsmen from this community helped with the building of the museum and Masks are the featured item here. The permanent collection contains pieces from about 300 artisans in Oaxaca.
The museum’s roots extend to 1905, when local resident Manuel Guzmán donated land for the establishment of a cultural center. The site was used first as a municipal library and then as a primary school. However, it was not until 1994 when a group of youths worked to build a museum that would be dedicated to barro negro pottery. That same year, the state government allocated 25,000 pesos to rehabilitate the building on the site, and local artist Carlomagno Pedro Martinez raised 80,000 pesos to install modern equipment. In 1996, the museum was founded as the community museum, with its initial collection. In that year, it sponsored, along with ARIPO - Artesanías e Industrias Populares del estado de Oaxaca, the first crafts competition. The museum struggled for a while financially until it signed a cooperation agreement with the 'Instituto Oaxaqueño de las Culturas,' the Oaxaca Institute of Cultures, which required a restructuring of the museum. In 2002, the community museum closed with the aim of building the current one.
In 2004, the current museum opened with the aim of presenting the crafts history of the entire state of Oaxaca, Mexico
Oaxaca, Mexico
Oaxaca, Mexico, may refer to:*The state of Oaxaca, one of the 32 component federal entities of the United Mexican States*Oaxaca, Oaxaca, capital city of that state...
. The museum has held temporary exhibits such as "Mujeres tejiendo historias" (Women knitting stories), "Grandes Maestros del Arte Popular de Oaxaca" (Grand Masters of Popular Art in Oaxaca) and "Historia y evolución del barro negro" (History and evolution of barro negro pottery). The new museum opened with new furniture and designed to international standards. The idea is to create a collection of popular art that represents the eight regions of the state of Oaxaca.
The mission is to promote Oaxacan handcrafts and popular art to the state's, Mexican, and international communities, as well as foster exchanges among artisan
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
s and promote tourism based on craft
Craft
A craft is a branch of a profession that requires some particular kind of skilled work. In historical sense, particularly as pertinent to the Medieval history and earlier, the term is usually applied towards people occupied in small-scale production of goods.-Development from the past until...
s. This includes the weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
and textile arts
Textile arts
Textile arts are those arts and crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct practical or decorative objects.Textiles have been a fundamental part of human life since the beginning of civilization, and the methods and materials used to make them have expanded enormously, while...
in Oaxacan traditions. The museum was built here to decentrale state cultural institutions. The museum offers guided tours in Spanish and English, workshops for adults and children, and spaces to rent for events.
Barro negro pottery
Doña Rosa
For almost all of the town’s history, the color of the local pottery was a dull dark gray, until Doña Rosa Real discovered a way to create a shiny black finish t create barro negro pottery. The innovation made the pottery more popular and famous, with Nelson RockefellerNelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
having a collection of her pieces. Doña Rosa died in 1980, but the tradition of making the barro negro pottery is being carried on by Doña Rosa’s daughter and grandchildren who stage demonstrations for tourists. The workshop
Workshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
is still in the family home, where shelves and shelves of shiny black pieces for sale line the inner courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
. Despite being the origin of black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
polished
Polished
Polished is an award winning short film directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly, featuring William B. Davis as a lonely aging businessman who yearns for human contact from shoeshiner Karyn Dwyer....
clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
, the pieces at the Doña Rosa Workshop are less expensive than in other parts of Mexico.
The Cantaro
Two pottery pieces which are indicative of San Bartolo are the traditional CantaroCantaro
The cantaro is a percussion instrument. It is a clay pot that is struck in its outer surface or mouth with a hand, creating different effects. Water can be used to pitch the instrument to a desired sound....
, a large jar which can be used for liquid storage or as a musical instrument and the "chango mezcalero" or mezcal monkey. This is a clay container in the shape of a monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
to hold mezcal
Mezcal
Mezcal, or mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the maguey plant native to Mexico. The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl metl and ixcalli which mean 'oven cooked agave.'...
, Oaxaca main distilled spirit, which has become a collectable folk art item. The container can be painted in bright colors or left in its gray color with detailed etching. The small opening at the top is plugged by a stopper of cork or corncob
Corncob
A corncob is the central core of a maize ear.The corn plant's ear is also considered a "cob" or "pole" but it is not fully a "pole" until the ear is shucked, or removed from the plant material around the ear...
. These bottles are sized to hold about 700 to 1000 milliliters of liquid and were originally meant to serve as decorative containers in bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
s.
Two families claim to have originated this clay bottle. The first is that of Doña Rosa. The family believes that Doña Rosa’s husband, Juventino Nieto, invented the design at the request of cantina
Cantina
Cantina is a word that can refer to various places and establishments. It is similar in etymology to "canteen", and is derived from the Italian word for a cellar, winery, or vault.Cantinas are found in many towns of Italy...
operators from the city of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
. Other animal forms were also designed as created as well, but the monkey one gained notoriety. The other family to lay claim to the mezcal monkey is that of Marcelo Simón Galan, now deceased. This family claims that he used to travel with his grey pottery pieces, which included water bottle
Water bottle
A water bottle is a container used to hold water for consumption. This allows an individual to transport or carry the bottled water from one place to another. A water bottle is usually made of plastic, glass, or metal, and so most can be recycled. Water bottles can be single use, returnable, or...
s and jars. Like the Doña Rosa family, this family claims the design was created upon request, with Marcelo doing the potting and others the painting. One of Marcelo’s mezcal monkeys is on display at the state crafts museum.
Carlomagno Pedro Martinez
Another promoter of barro negro pottery from San Bartolo Coyotepec is Carlomagno Pedro Martinez. He was born here into a pottery-making family. He was named after Charlemagne by his grandmother, who was an admirer of the king. From a young age showed talent in fashioning figures in clay. When he was grown, he attended the Fine Arts Workshop of Rufino TamayoRufino Tamayo
Rufino Tamayo was a Mexican painter of Zapotec heritage, born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. Tamayo was active in the mid-20th century in Mexico and New York, painting figurative abstraction with surrealist influences....
in Oaxaca city
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
. He has become the first potter
Potter
A potter is someone who makes pottery.It can also mean "to move about aimlessly", especially in the phrases "potter around" and "potter about".Potter may also refer to:*Potter , includes a list of people with the surname-Places:...
-artist-sculptor in the medium, winning his first recognition in 1985 for his work Tlaquepaque
Tlaquepaque
Tlaquepaque , historically San Pedro or Georgetown, is a city and the surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Jalisco. During the 20th century it was absorbed by the outward spread of the state capital and is now a neighbourhood of the Guadalajara conurbation, lying only a few kilometres...
, Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
. His fame increased with his development of human skull
Human skull
The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
s made of barro negro in the years that followed. In Mexico, he has exhibited his work in dozens of expositions and has won three national level awards. His work has also been featured in five published books. Martinez’s work has been exhibited in countries such as the United States, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, with one of the latest exhibits in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2008. In that same year, he created a mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
in barro negro at the Baseball Academy in San Bartolo Coyotepec sponsored by the Alfredo Harp Helú
Alfredo Harp Helú
Alfredo Harp Helú is a Mexican businessman of Lebanese origin, and as of 2011, with a net worth of $1.0 billion, is according to Forbes the 1140th richest person in the world...
Foundation. Each piece Carlomagno makes is unique in some way, but certain themes such as oral histories
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
, indigenous legends, certain Christian themes and death, called "our grandmother."
Ceramic artists
Ceramic artists of Barro negro pottery in San Bartolo Coyotepec include:- Doña Rosa
- Juventino Nieto
- Marcelo Simón Galan
- Carlomagno Pedro Martinez
The municipality
As municipal seat, the town of San Bartolo Coyotepec is the governing authority for the seven other communities: Reyes Mantecón, Cuarta Sección, La Guelavaca (El Tule), El Guapo (San Francisco), La Magdalena, La Soledad, Paraje la Colorada and Paraje la Era. Together these communities cover an area of 45.93km2 and have a total population of just over 8,000 people.(inegi) The municipality borders the municipalities of Santa María CoyotepecSanta María Coyotepec
Santa María Coyotepec is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of km².It is part of the Centro District in the Valles Centrales region.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 2070....
, Santa Catarina Quiane
Santa Catarina Quiane
Santa Catarina Quiane is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of km².It is part of the Zimatlán District in the west of the Valles Centrales Region...
, San Martín Tilcajete
San Martín Tilcajete
San Martín Tilcajete is a town and municipality located about from the city of Oaxaca, in the state of Oaxaca, in the south of Mexico.It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
, Santo Tomás Jalieza
Santo Tomás Jalieza
Santo Tomás Jalieza is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico.It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region.The municipality covers an area of 51.03 km² at en elevation of 1,500 meters above sea level....
, San Juan Teitipac
San Juan Teitipac
San Juan Teitipac is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 11.48 km².It is part of the Tlacolula District in the east of the Valles Centrales Region....
and Villa de Zaachila
Villa de Zaachila
Villa de Zaachila is a town and municipality in Oaxaca, Mexico, six km from the city of Oaxaca.It is part of the Zaachila District in the west of the Valles Centrales Region...
.
The most important elevations are Piedra Redonda, Chivaguia Grande, Chivaguia Chica, Guinise Grande, Loma del Cuche, La Peñas and Guibetes. The Atoyac and Valiente Rivers pass through here. The municipality has a temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
climate with winds mostly from the north.
Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
employ about 19% of the population growing vegetables such as corn, beans and squash blossom
Blossom
In botany, blossom is a term given to the flowers of stone fruit trees and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring...
, as well as decorative flowers such as daisies, Mexican marigold
Tagetes lucida
Tagetes lucida is a half-hardy sub-shrub native to Mexico and Central America. It is eaten as an herb and is commonly used as a substitute for tarragon. The leaves have a tarragon-like flavor, with hints of anise...
s and poinsettia
Poinsettia
Euphorbia pulcherrima, commonly known as Zack Wood or noche buena, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico and Central America. The name "poinsettia" is after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant into the US in 1825...
s. Orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s here produce orange
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
s, mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
s, mamey sapote
Mamey sapote
The mamey sapote is a species of tree native to southern Mexico. Today, the tree is cultivated not only in Mexico, but also in Central America, the Caribbean, and South Florida for its fruit, which is commonly eaten in many Latin American countries...
s, black sapote
Black sapote
Diospyros digyna, the Black Sapote, is a species of persimmon that is native to eastern Mexico and Central America south to Colombia. Other names include Chocolate Pudding Fruit, Chocolate Persimmon and Zapote Prieto.-Description:Mature trees can grow to over in height and are evergreen. It is...
s, guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
s and other tropical fruit. Livestock includes domestic fowl, pigs, cattle and sheep. About 33% are involved in mining and industry, with most of this population dedicated to the making of barro negro pottery. The rest of the population, about 45% is employed in commerce.
Padre, family, and community
In 1997, Father Manuel Marinero announced that he was in love with a member of the parish church. The Catholic Church responded by immediately putting an end to Marinero’s 24 year career as a priest. However, since then the local community has continued to support him as their spiritual leader. At least as of 2002, the town of San Bartolo Coyotepec has officially been without a priest as Marinero is not recognized. However, the people here still called him "Padre" (Father) and he continues to live in the house that has been traditionally reserved for parish priests with his wife and two children. The Church has asked him to move but the house belongs to the town and the residents want him to stay. It is not unknown for Mexican priests to have significant others, but it is kept hidden and numbers are not known. Marinero’s case is unusual because it is public. Beginning in 2004, Marinero began to publicly support gay marriage as wellAcademy of Baseball
In 2009 the Academy of BaseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
was founded in San Bartolo Coyotepec by Alfredo Harp Helú
Alfredo Harp Helú
Alfredo Harp Helú is a Mexican businessman of Lebanese origin, and as of 2011, with a net worth of $1.0 billion, is according to Forbes the 1140th richest person in the world...
. The academy has six instructors and can accommodate sixty students of between fourteen and seventeen years of age. The goal is to prepare young people who hope to have a career in the sport, while supporting the completion of their education. It is the first of its kind in Mexico and the founder hopes that there will be more. The facilities cover more than ten hectares and include a library, computer center, three baseball field
Baseball field
A baseball field, also called a ball field or a baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The terms "baseball field" and "ball field" are also often used as synonyms for ballpark.-Specifications:...
s, and living quarters for students. Murals were commissioned for the project including "El camino del Sol for el cielo" by José Luis Garcia and a barro negro mural by Carlomagno Pedro called "Juego en el inframundo."
See also
- Category: Mexican potters
- Category: Pre-Columbian pottery
- Ceramic artCeramic artIn art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
- Valley of OaxacaValley of OaxacaThe Valley of Oaxaca is a geographic region located within the modern day State of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. The valley, which is located within the Sierra Madre Mountains, is shaped like a distorted and almost upside-down “Y,” with each of its arms bearing specific names: the northwestern Etla...
- Rodolfo MoralesRodolfo MoralesRodolfo Morales was a Mexican painter, who incorporated elements of magic realism into his work.Morales is best known for his brightly coloured surrealistic dream-like canvases and collages often featuring Mexican women in village settings...
- Rufino TamayoRufino TamayoRufino Tamayo was a Mexican painter of Zapotec heritage, born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. Tamayo was active in the mid-20th century in Mexico and New York, painting figurative abstraction with surrealist influences....
- Rodolfo Morales