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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 16, 2014 7:07:45 GMT
Today I went with a friend who lives here and her delightful niece visiting from Italy on a lovely jaunt to two nearby points of interest. Our first objective was Atzompa, known for well over a thousand years for pottery making. Besides the enormous turnout of utilitarian items such as cups, bowl, and clay cookware, the many potters of the town create whimsical, attractive, and artistic items. We had a beautiful day for this outing ~ Our first stop is supplied by a collective of potters ~ In among the ornamental items are some classic bean pots. Setting atop the one on the left is a bowl glazed inside with the characteristic Atzompa green glaze. Animal musicians and figures from a nativity scene ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 16, 2014 7:25:10 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 16, 2014 7:38:49 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Nov 16, 2014 12:59:00 GMT
And yes indeedy I have! Bixa, you have outdone yourself with such a beautiful display (photographically) of all the pottery objects you beheld! Some of them I would have no hesitance in purchasing. I loved the green glazed pumpkin..and the half green glazed fish - perfect for a prawn cocktail?... even an avocado Ritz! Super duper - thanks for taking us there!
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Post by nycgirl on Nov 16, 2014 20:05:15 GMT
What beautiful goods! I think my favorites are the carved, brightly painted vases. The green, glazed ceramics are quite pretty, too.
Are the prices listed in pesos?
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Post by htmb on Nov 16, 2014 20:06:30 GMT
Looking forward to seeing more, Bixa. My oldest daughter collects mermaids and would love seeing the pictures you've posted. She would have been thrilled by Tod's mermaid, too.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 16, 2014 21:48:39 GMT
Thank you, ladies! Full disclosure (as if you all hadn't guessed): I included so much because I am hoping to tempt you here. That is just one store with the folk art from one single village. Just think, Tod -- you could get the plates and the avocados for the Ritz! NYCGirl, I'm also a big fan of the carved vases. Sometimes the vases or globes of that type are cleverly cut in half so that the cut is invisible. It's done so that the object can be wired for electricity & opened to receive a bulb. It's particularly effective with the houses motif, looking like a little lit-up village. Yes, the prices are in pesos. The artisans set the prices for their individual product. The turtle tureen cost an amazingly low 77 pesos, but the devil lovers were $480! We could only conclude that the devil maker didn't really want to sell that piece, as the price is not in line with anything else in the entire store. www.xe.com/currencyconverter/ Htmb, the mermaid is a popular motif throughout Mexico. I've even seen a mermaid Last Supper! Bring your daughter when you come! & I presume you're referring to Tod's mermaid in the thread pics I cannot see.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 16, 2014 22:03:50 GMT
We left the folk craft market, but didn't get very far, being hopelessly reeled in by the ice cream (homemade) stand just at the top of the market stairs. That turned out to be lucky besides delicious, as the vendor informed my friend that the artisan who made a collection of clay masks my friend has was still living & indeed in a house right across the street. We went on over to find that the old (96) lady was now blind and off visiting a daughter. However another family member was carrying on the business and let us in. These two pictures were taken from the sunny outside looking in to the dark outer section of the even darker workshop: The inner section: Work in progress ~~ and work hanging around waiting to be sold ~~ Not being in the market for anything, I looked longingly outside ~~
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 16, 2014 22:14:02 GMT
I just had to go outside to explore the large overgrown garden ~~ The old porch is surely beyond repair ~~ I think this is called a "sea onion" ~~
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 16, 2014 22:30:16 GMT
Meanwhile, my friends have come outside & discovered a treasure trove of old molds and beautifully weathered discarded faces and heads ~~ The artisan demonstrates a mold for the bottom part of a leg. This section came up as far as her knee & was for part of a large nativity scene ~~ Another antique. This vessel was about a meter high & was once used to hold water ~~ The lady graciously consented to sell me part of a huge-leafed begonia. After she dug it up, I kept trying to go back out to the street to escape the voracious gnats, but was continuously drawn back by more garden glories ~~ Twin Benitos in the grass ~~ And so we roll on out of Atzompa, passing a weaving workshop/store and a lovely little creek on our way into the hills ~~ I hope you all will revisit this thread later, as there is much more to see.
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Post by htmb on Nov 16, 2014 22:37:26 GMT
That creek needs exploring.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 17, 2014 5:16:26 GMT
Mmmmm, but maybe further away from human habitation. Use your sharp Payne's Prairie eyes to spot detritus, even though I cropped out the worst of it. We're on our way to Cuilapam de Guerrero along back roads. This included a stop at a wonderful buffet restaurant in the middle of nowhere on the way to San Pedro Ixtlahuaca, plus some mild & scenic getting lost. Our route :: A reservoir ~ A bird, fishing ~ Humans, post-swimming ~ Shortly after this, a confab with a passing motorcyclist made us decide to turn around and find the correct road ~ Bird, other side of road ~ A little cemetery, high in the hills. The gate was locked, with a sign warning people not to put water in the flower vases in order to prevent dengue. Please come back to this thread to see the amazing monastery in Cuilapam, abandoned semi-built because of vast overspending.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 17, 2014 16:40:03 GMT
Superb Bixa! Wonderful photography and everything so interesting. Will be checking this again.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2014 18:15:53 GMT
Superb Bixa! Wonderful photography and everything so interesting. Will be checking this again. As there is NO REPLY button being offered on my screen, I resorted to this, hoping this will work to respond. I can't DO ANYTHING on this new system without some snafu!!!!!
Great report, (see, it's all in subscript, no matter what I try!!!).
I'll try again later, it's too frustrating trying to deal with this system.
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Post by mich64 on Nov 17, 2014 19:02:08 GMT
Loving your day in the country Bixa! Interesting and beautiful so far.
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Post by lola on Nov 18, 2014 0:55:06 GMT
Wow, beautiful. I love that green glaze. Is the average Mexican home full of such things, or just a few here and there?
I was thinking it would be nice to have such a nativity scene, and then the embracing demons drove the thought clean out of my mind. You'd have to have a special minimalist display area to show that baby off.
I've never seen morning glories like those. And those skies. Thank you bixa, for taking me to a warmer place.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 18, 2014 5:57:57 GMT
Thank you all so much for your enthusiastic response to this report! Lola, the green glazed pottery is ubiquitous here and will be found in every home. One of the most representative pieces is the round-bottomed pitcher for making hot chocolate. When the chocolate is whisked with a molinillo, the shape keeps the spatter inside the pot. Some of the green pots are quite ornamented and pretty, but untold sizes and shapes of utilitarian cooking pots, bowls, cups, and serving pieces are everywhere.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 18, 2014 6:18:16 GMT
Finally, well after four o'clock, we arrive at the beautiful semi-ruin of the monastery of Cuilapam. We knew that it would be closing @5, plus the light would soon fade. My friends hurried ahead, but my attention was caught by something outside. Oooooo :: a drone! Can I see? Can I watch? Huh? Huh? Full-blown, uncontrollable gadget envy! It rose, with its sound of a hive of bees, and went high over the roofless cloister. *sigh* It must be reported that I have been to Cuilapam many times, but its beauty and charm do not fade for me. Also, I have over 200 photos from my last visit, in October of 2012. So, if there are any architectural photo junkies out there, say the word & I'll augment the heck out of this portion of the report.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 18, 2014 6:29:59 GMT
On my previous visits I never saw the little church which is still in use, as it was always closed when I was there. But hey -- it's open today! It's a tall, narrow, rather plain space ~ But what's this over on the left hand side? It's a tiny chapel, no bigger than a Victorian parlor ~ A sign painted over the interior arch states that the chapel was renovated between 1920 & 1923. This passageway to the outside was right next to the chapel ~
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 18, 2014 6:42:05 GMT
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Post by onlyMark on Nov 18, 2014 16:27:54 GMT
Bixa, I'm not ignoring this thread and the other photo essays, I'm just a little preoccupied to devote time to them. Just sayin....
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Post by tod2 on Nov 18, 2014 16:56:44 GMT
I'm sure we all understand Mark - India is devouring you....again!
Well, Im scrolling through very slowly Bixa and enjoying every fragment! WONDERFUL! Huge admiration for that stone baptismal font. I can just tell its hued out of a solid stone by man-made tools - and what a job! superb.
And you lucky lady! A drone, a drone , a drone!! Effing hell Bixa - what luck! I've never seen one that close.....what am I saying? I've never seen one, period!!
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 18, 2014 19:24:47 GMT
Hi Mark ~~ no worries. In fact, you are miles out in front of me, as sometimes I completely fail to notice threads/posts. Full disclosure: I am the individual on the far left in the first of your piss-up photos. Aw, Tod ~~ you are always so attentive and encouraging. Thank you! Also thanks for understanding how thrilled I was to see the drone.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 18, 2014 20:51:10 GMT
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Post by htmb on Nov 18, 2014 22:26:43 GMT
Gorgeous photos, Bixa. I especially love the one looking through the archway with the mountains in the distance.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 19, 2014 16:09:50 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 19, 2014 17:22:09 GMT
And out into the most beautiful part of a beautiful day. There I encounter my friends, who inform me that the docent says it's time for us to go. Outside again, where I'm told that La Malinche is buried in the little church, so we'll have to make a quick stop in there again. (But I've found no evidence to support her burial here.)Since the church is in use for actual praying, we have to muffle our cries of delight over the most fun thing I've ever seen in a church: Santiago (St. James) and his wonderful horse ~ And we're outside into the waning light, with just time for one last peek ~ To wind up this report, here is a slide show of the monastery. The pictures were taken on October 25, 2012 and will give an expanded idea of the place.
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Post by fumobici on Nov 19, 2014 20:21:29 GMT
Astonishingly beautiful set of photos bixa. The monastery is (obviously) fantastically photogenic and the surrounding country looks oddly similar to some of Tuscany!
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Post by htmb on Nov 20, 2014 22:28:09 GMT
Loved the slide show, Bixa. The stone, with its different hues and colors, is really beautiful. Nice pictures!
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Post by mossie on Nov 21, 2014 14:54:33 GMT
Ditto, beautiful place
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