Village life in southern mexico

Village life in southern Mexico

Mexico has a long traditional handcrafting beautiful objects such as classical guitarrs. And golden pendiants of pre-colombian
design made with skills a thousandyears old. The Weavers combine vivid color and interesting patterns into useful peaces of great beaty. But ceramics more than any other craft reflects the spirit of Mexico and its people; one familymight specialize in complicate tree of life figures. While another might create striking images of dead, often whole villages would produce single craft style.
One this village is Coyotepec nearOaxaca in south central Mexico. Señor Moreno is showing his GrandChildren how to shape the
black pottery but wich his village is famous.
Cornelio is the jungest child in the family. Like his overbrother Joaquin he has been practicing with clay for slong as he can remember. It may only be small animal, but whatever it is, Sr. Morene would place it in the kiln alongside other pieces
to be sold inthe market. Cornelio and Joaquin's Sister Lola is also helping and learning. She is using a special round stone to burnish or smooth the rough dull surface of the unfired clay untill it has a soft evensheen. Sr. Moreno is forming a new pott, but the ention nothing of carefully piling one roll clay on top of another. His hands quickly and skillfully thin the sides of the pot and shape the rim; theskill cames and having repeated the same shapes thounsands at times.
Finally a scraper is used to give the pott its rub surface and final form. The potts is then set aside the age in dark placewhere wil dry very slowly. When the aging process is complete many peaces of pottery wil be collected for firing in a kiln. This is a very delicate task each piece is fragil and most be placed into thekiln very carefully. The kiln is a pit three feet deep in lined with stones; it now conteines several
weeks of the family´s work. joaquin hands his grandfather some wood which is placed in a opening...