Day trip to Tonalá

Trip Start Jul 04, 2010
1
47
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Trip End May 10, 2011


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Where I stayed
Casa Vilasanta, GDL

Flag of Mexico  , Jalisco,
Thursday, September 23, 2010

After a late breakfast, we walked 5 blocks east and hopped on a rickety bus number 275B for the 45 minute ride to the folky artisan village Tonalá. It is market day in this town about 30 km east of Guadalajara. We roamed the cluttered market stalls. We found many colorful items such as chairs, metal wall hangings of fish, frogs, and Kokopeli shapes. The welded desk toys made of spark plugs, screws, etc. were fun including the gynecologist and patient pictured.

Steel Figure in Tonala Market
Steel Figure in Tonala Market

Dolls in Tonala Market
Dolls in Tonala Market




We had a wonderful Chivo Birria (baby goat stew) at a stall in the market before stopping in on Galería Bernabe and 'ceramic factory', a 5 generation, family run business. A brother offered to show us around.

Galería Bernabe in Tonalá on Market Day
Galería Bernabe in Tonalá on Market Day
Galería Bernabe in Tonalá
Galería Bernabe in Tonalá

We got a private tour of the factory and observed the pottery process from potters wheel to painted and glazed finished product. 5 generations have been making this distinctive painted petatillo pattern stoneware (check video). Petatillo is a crosshatched design resembling a woven petate mat. Painting the design is very time consuming and few do it today. In small courtyard one of the 3 brothers was putting some finishing touches on painting a dinner plate while the father was carefully checking finished work for flaws.They had piles of newspaper articles and magazine write-ups, dating as far back at the 1970's, about their distinctive pottery craft. They showed a newspaper clipping of Obama eating from their stuff. Loads of fun!
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