Just About Everything!

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2006
VOLUME XII, NUMBER 1
The most popular and
expensive of all the
tourist potteries is
glazed Tlaquepaque.
From left to right, a
blue demitasse cup and
saucer with plain border,
an eleven-inch six-sided
rust plate with graining,
and a seven-inch bread
and butter plate with
a designed border. A
recent addition to my
collection, the rust plate,
because of its rare shape
and graining, should have
cost about $200, but I
got it for $45 from an
eBay seller who didn’t
know what she had. It
doesn’t happen often, but
every once in a while....
Vintage Mexican Tourist Pottery
What’s Hot? Just About
Everything!
by Lynne Doyle
Mexican folk art – in particular, pottery – has
always been highly collectible, from the
days when the most efficient way to travel
to Mexico was by ship from New York to
Veracruz, through the halcyon days of the
brand new Pan American Highway, right
down to modern times, when tourists and
collectors are coming from everywhere in the
world to enjoy Mexico’s beaches, mountains
and colonial-era cities. Some people bring
home the same things they could buy for less
in their own malls, while others bring shells
from Mexico’s gorgeous beaches. But by far,
the most popular souvenirs by which tourists
choose to remember their excursions to
Mexico are the many varieties of folk art, and
of these, pottery has always been and remains
to this day the most popular of Mexico’s folk
art exports.
What I find amazing these days is that right
along with Talavera and the many other kinds
of contemporary pottery leaving Mexico by
the planeloads, collectors of Mexican pottery
are spending even more of their hard-earned
money on the pottery of yesteryear – most of
which came from the Guadalajara area (the
consumption by the millions of visitors
descending on Mexico with the advent of the
ability to easily drive into the country. This
pottery is – for whatever reason – in extreme
demand among collectors today and is being
gobbled up for astounding prices by hundreds
of people dedicated to its form, and it seems to
me not a bad idea to try to sort out – quickly
and succinctly – some of the features,
differences, and characteristics of which
potential collectors might like to be aware.
When I got interested in this vintage pottery,
there was so much to learn and to differentiate
between processes and styles that I remained
thoroughly confused for a very long time.
Lucky for me, most of the people involved in
collecting and selling this pottery are gracious,
well-informed and very willing to share their
knowledge, and there are several who fully
qualify as experts who were unstinting in their
efforts to help me along. I still don’t have it all
completely straight in my mind, and there are
new variations popping up all the time, but my
hope is to make some of it clearer to those of
you who might be interested.
surrounding villages of Tonala, Tlaquepaque
and Santa Cruz de la Huertas), but some
from Oaxaca as well. As the droves of
tourists from the US careened down the Pan
American Highway when it opened in the
early part of the 20th century, enterprising
Mexican ceramists were busy coming up
with whatever they could think of that
might be of interest to these vacationers.
In the process, some of Mexico’s most
memorable ceramic traditions were born and
are enjoying a truly magnificent renaissance
today.
Continued on page 2
The entire culture of Talavera, both old
and new, has been discussed to death, as
has the black pottery of Oaxaca and the
geometric designs of Mata Ortiz, and
actually, these ceramic forms are really
not pertinent here. For the purposes of this
article, I am attempting to discuss pottery
that has not, with a few imitative exceptions,
been made for the last 50 years or so. This
cheaply made, highly collectible Mexican
tourist ware, which enjoys no extended and
complicated artistic tradition, was designed
and manufactured almost exclusively for
This unsigned 9-inch Petatillo plate
has it all – careful cross-hatching in the
border as well as the design, a wellexecuted design complete with graining,
an intricate, wide floral border, and
unusual coloring. It sold on eBay for
$370.
INSIDE
M á s o M e n o s
2
C o m i n g t o M e x i c o
E l e c t i o n C o m m e n t s
4
5
L a s
A b o u t
J o y a s
M e x i c o
6
8
Vintage Pottery Continued
Of these three types of pottery, by far the
most popular, in demand, and expensive, is
glazed pottery, which also accounts for most
of the various styles of touristware. The vast
majority of it was made in the Guadalajara
area, but there were also several successful
styles generated in Oaxaca. Each has its
own charm and appeal, but the greatest
amount of material was made and sold in
greater Guadalajara, and it is this pottery
that is most sought after today and brings
the highest prices from collectors.
A
s the Mexico presidential
election wends it way through
the courts and commissions,
the more instructive, and possibly more
important issue, just might be the three
month teacher strike in Oaxaca. What
started as a worker’s strike for higher
wages has become a larger movement,
one that questions the graft and
corruption that has been ingrained in the
country for, well, maybe forever.
Eduardo Martínez, a local union leader
said “This is an opportunity to revise
history, to restore dignity to our people
and stand up against the powerful. With a
popular movement, so much is possible.”
And this from Armand Pescard-Sverdrup,
director of the Mexico Project at the
Washington-based Center for Strategic
and International Studies “This is a very
difficult, potentially dangerous time
because the battle is over which Mexico
– the old or new – emerges.”
The cost to the city of Oaxaca has been
enormous economically as the zocalo has
become the focal point of the peaceful
protestors. The state’s largest Indian
festival, the Guelaguetza, was canceled,
resulting in a $60 million loss in tourism
dollars, and Day of the Dead is not far
off.
It is not surprising that the teachers are at
the forefront of this protest. Their union
has 1.3 million members nationwide and
is the largest union in Latin America.
More importantly, in much of Mexico the
teachers are the most respected members
of the community, especially in the
small, rural areas where they serve as de
facto mayors where there are none. The
teacher is often the only educated person
in a village, working for little money.
Their guidance and advice are highly
regarded, much more than the politicians
or the police.
Mexico’s new president, whoever that
is, will not be able to ignore the growing
discontent that is being voiced in
Oaxaca. To do so would be foolish and
detrimental to the country.
  
2
tourists with the most disposable income.
It’s easy to see why Balbino Lucano’s
is pretty much the gold standard
for petatillo tourist pottery. His
complicated, masterfully executed
designs and colors make his work
among the most sought-after of all.
This 10-inch plate cost $560 about six
months ago and is one of only three I
have ever seen.
There are three primary varieties of
processes that make up the overall genus of
tourist pottery, namely glazed (vidriado),
burnished (brunido) and painted (opaco)
ceramics. Glazed pottery was double-fired
– the first firing involving the original clay
piece and painted design and the second at a
higher temperature securing the shiny glazed
surface. These pieces could be used for
food service or to hold liquids, although the
mixing and glazing processes were primitive
and resulted in a rough surface with many
flakes, air bubbles and glaze pops, and could
be easily chipped with use. Glazed pottery
from the Guadalajara area is generally
associated with the town of Tlaquepaque, but
in truth, could also have been made in the
other two villages.
Probably the most impressive tourist ware
variation artistically is the painting style
called Petatillo. These are colorful, fairly
primitive designs painted on plates, pitchers,
vases, and tea and coffee sets where the
backgrounds of the designs are painted in
tiny cross-hatched lines resembling straw,
hence the name. These intricate designs
are meticulously arranged with fantasized
images of Mexican rural life, mostly in
pleasant combinations of primary colors.
There were many artists creating these
pieces, perhaps the most celebrated of which
are the various members of the Lucano
family who worked during the mid-20th
century. Of the Lucanos, Balbino is my
personal favorite – his pieces are busy and
complicated with every inch of surface
covered in design and the very tiniest of
hatch lines enhancing the backgrounds.
Some of the pieces produced by other
artists were not of the same caliber of work
– namely the petatillo is large and somewhat
crude – but all of it is interesting to see and,
if signed, very valuable.
Continued on page 3
Burnished pottery, mostly accredited to the
village of Tonala, consisted of bare clay
sun-dried, brush painted, rubbed with either
leather or stone to adhere the design into the
clay and then fired only once at a medium
temperature, resulting in a lustrous polished
surface. These pieces were used primarily for
decoration.
Painted or opaque pottery is also slipped,
brush painted, and single-fired with no
finishing process (same as burnished without
the burnishing), which produces a flat, fairly
rough surface that can be easily scratched
and damaged. Opaque is also believed to
have been made mostly in Tonala, but we
must keep in mind that there were artists in
all three villages producing all three varieties
of pottery, though most of it was marketed
in Tlaquepaque because it attracted the most
This extremely rare six-inch
relish plate in mint condition is an
extraordinary example of Tlaquepaque
tourist pottery. It has graining,
different but complementary designs
in each of the five relish sections,
along with a fully-decorated base tray,
along with a complicated border, both
sculpturally and color-wise – plus it is
stamped ARIAS on the back. It’s worth
well over $1000.
Vintage Pottery Continued
It is interesting to note that even
though it is harder to find than figural
Tlaquepaque, the floral style known
as Art Deco is not as valuable to
collectors. However, the value of this
11-inch plate (about $75) is somewhat
elevated by the fact that its blue
background color is speckled rather
than even, and it has a sculpturally
scalloped border.
A variation of Petatillo is pottery that has the
same general kind of design but instead of
the cross-hatched background, has tiny white
dots representing stars placed randomly
on black or dark blue backgrounds, or less
often, dark dots on lighter backgrounds. This
style is called “night” and is usually even
pricier than petatillo since there seems to
be less of it around. There are artists today
working in Tonala and Tlaquepaque (notably
Jose Bernabe) producing this same kind
of pottery, but it is easily distinguishable
from the original. Back in the day, clay
was hand-mixed and therefore prone to air
bubbles and flakes during firing. Today clay
is machine-prepared, resulting in a much
smoother surface. Also, it seems as though
the original pottery was seldom signed by
the artist (except for the Lucanos, and even
they didn’t sign everything) but rather had
“Mexico” impressed on the backs or bottoms
of the pieces. Today everything is signed and
“Mexico” is written in ink or paint rather
than impressed into the clay.
Next on the list of tourist pottery in demand
by collectors is that which is known simply
as Tlaquepaque. These heavily glazed
ceramic pieces, mostly consisting of
dinnerware, again depict childlike drawings
of romanticized Mexican rural life showing
peasants, animals, plant life, dwellings,
etc. They come with background colors
in varying shades of black, medium blue,
green, ivory, and rust or terra cotta, and
it seems as though the more complicated
the drawing, the more valuable the piece.
Also helping to increase the value are the
relative intricacies of the borders (some
pieces have no border at all, or simple lines,
while others have detailed patterns) and the
larger sizes and relatively unusual shapes of
the pieces. Florintino Jimon Barba of Tonala
is the only contemporary artist I know of who
has attempted to duplicate this work, but he
hasn’t even come close – the old stuff is easily
identified as such, especially side by side with
the new.
Little of this vintage pottery is signed.
However, experts in the field have found ways
of distinguishing the many different styles
of the artists of the period and have even
attributed names based on these styles. For
instance, one artist whose pieces generally
had a blue donkey included somewhere in the
design has become known as “Donkey Blues.”
Another whose drawings were often built on
a yellow surface depicting a road or field is
referred to as “Yellow Brick Road,” while still
another who portrays his roads with a multicolored pebbly surface called graining (which
also seems to increase the value of the piece) is
A spectacular example of mid-20th
century Fantasia tourist pottery,
this green-on-creme set is huge. The
largest casserole is 18 inches long, the
smallest twelve inches, and it is in mint
condition. Unfortunately, it is not part
of my collection, but belongs to Judy
Mackey of San Diego, who kindly let me
use her photograph. I can’t even guess
what the set is worth, certainly in the
vicinity of $750.
as Petatillo and Tlaquepaque, do seem to
be steadily increasing in price, as again,
nowhere near as much of it is available.
Another diversification of glazed pottery
from the Guadalajara area that is extremely
popular with collectors is a style called
Fantasia. These pieces seem to come in
every color of the rainbow and the designs
are usually limited to highly fantasized
images of animals and flowers, although
some have been found to include highly
stylized people. These pieces are some of
my personal favorites as they are colorful,
very intricately drawn and totally unique
in style. Again, some contemporary artists
are attempting to replicate these designs,
and some have been fairly successful, but
the difference in the smoothness of the clay
used can generally be depended upon to
differentiate new from old.
The poorest cousin price-wise of
Guadalajara-area glazed pottery is the
redware called Bandera, named for the
use of only terra cotta backgrounds with
cream and green designs (the colors of the
Mexican flag) in its designs. I absolutely
love Bandera, all trillion of its patterns.
Bandera is found primarily in many shapes
and sizes of plates and bowls, although
I have also found cups and saucers, and
rarely, pitchers. Consisting of thin clay that
is for the most part adorably misshapen,
Bandera usually has a Tonala-style animal/
floral inner design with an intricate border
pattern around the piece’s edge, but I
have found one cup and saucer done in
plain green and ivory stripes. I was also
lucky enough to find a plate in which the
green was exchanged for a cobalt blue by
some enterprising artisan. While some
collectors would argue over whether this
piece was Bandera at all, everything else
Continued on page 5
called “Delicate Dan.” I’m not at all sure how
much faith I put into these attributions because
many of the design elements overlap between
artists, but it seems as though if someone
somewhere states that a particular piece is
“attributed to” an individual artist, even though
there is no signature and the artist’s real name
is not known, the price goes up.
Variations of Tlaquepaque pottery include
simplistic figural designs known as Aztec
(showing images presumably taken from
ancient ruins and codices), Art Deco (usually
fanciful drawings of plants and birds) and
molded (designs are similar but images are
raised against a flat background). Examples of
these styles, while usually not quite as valuable
Bandera . From left to right, a 16-inch
Bandera charger in mint condtion, a
ten-inch square casserole dish, and
my treasured striped cup and saucer.
The cup is so old that the green
barely shows any more, but it’s there.
The charger is worth around $75,
the casserole $50, and the cup and
saucer about $30.
3
September 6: 13th International Mariachi
and Charro Festival – Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Annual celebration of mariachi music in
the mariachi capital of the world, gathering
musicians from Mexico and around the world.
www.mariachi-jalisco.com.mx .
September 1-14: Zacatecas National Fair
2006 – Zacatecas, Zacatecas. Colonial
jewel Zacatecas, celebrates its rich cultural
history with a two-week long fair with musical
performances, amusement rides for the
children, theater performances, and an
assortment of regional cuisine.
September 8: Tepozteco Challenge
– Tepoztlan, Morelos. Performance depicting
King Tepoztecatl’s conversion to the Catholic
religion. Procession leads to the Tepozteco
Pyramid, where offerings are made. This
event includes a food festival, chinelo
dances dating back to prehispanic times, and
fireworks.
September 15–16: Mexican Independence
Day – Nationwide. Mexico celebrates its
declaration of independence from Spain in
1810. The night of September 15, marks
“El Grito,” a dramatic reenactment of
revolutionary Father Hidalgo’s call for his
fellow Mexicans to join the uprising, which
takes place at city halls across the country.
On September 16, military parades are held in
almost every Mexican city.
September 19–21: Fall Equinox at
Kulkulcan – Chichen Itza, Yucatan.
Thousands of people from around the world
gather at this Mayan ruin on the Yucatan
Peninsula to witness the afternoon shadow
of the snake-god Kukulcan slowly “crawl
down” the country’s largest Mayan pyramid,
El Castillo.
September 16: Running of the Bulls at
San Miguel – San Miguel de Allende,
Guanajuato. Also known as the Pamplonada
because it is Mexico’s imitation of Spain’s
“running of the bulls,” the Sanmiguelada is
an annual festival usually taking place the
third Saturday of September in honor of Saint
Michael the Archangel. The event involves
dances, concerts, fireworks and bulls running
through town. Daring participants meet at
high noon. www.sanmiguelguide.com/tourpamplonada.htm
September 24-30: National Antique Festival
– Saltillo, Coahuila. Now in its tenth year, this
festival gathers together top antique dealers
from all over Mexico and features exhibitions
of international treasures, accompanied by
a musical and educational program. www.
muestraantiguedades.com
October, all month: Sea Turtle Exposition
at The Civic Plaza.– Playa Azul, Michoacán.
Purepecha Heratage Festival in which the
community is involved in handcraft contests
surrounded by typical dances, and music..
4
October, all month: International Artistic
Festival – Coahuila. During October the State
of Coahuila is the host of this cultural event
that gathers the presence of more than two
thousand artists in all disciplines, from Mexico
and the world. The festival is organized by the
Institute Coahuilense of Culture (ICOCULT),
presents dances, theater, movies, literature,
painting, poetry, among others. Information
in ICOCULT: (844) 410 20 33 and 414 27 47
http://contraloria.sfcoahuila.gob.mx/icocult/
principal.asp; www.coahuila.gob.mx; www.
saltillomexico.org; [email protected]
October, all month: 7th International
Film Festival – San Miguel de Allende,
Guanajuato. Showing an extensive range of
film productions of diverse countries, included
Mexico. Info: 52 (410) 1032984 and 52
(415)1546444 www.guanajuato-travel.com
October 1–4. San Francisco de Asis
Celebration – Real de Catorce, San Luis
Potosi. Popular fair with cultural and religious
events. http://www.descubresanluispotosi.
com/web//
October 5–7, Mexico Luxury Travel Expo
– Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo. During the
expo, North America travel agents will meet
top-end travel suppliers and Riviera Maya
Tourism Board representatives to learn more
about the many unique attractions the Riviera
Maya offers the discerning traveler. For more
information, visit www.mexicoluxurytravelexpo.
com.
October 4–22: 34rd International
Cervantine Festival – Guanajuato,
Guanajauato. One of the most important
cultural events in Mexico, this annual festival
fills the streets of this colonial town with
performers and visitors from all over the world.
This year’s host is the United Kingdom. www.
festivalcervantino.gob.mx/
October 6–28: 29th National Mole Fair
– San Pedro Actopan, Mexico. Just south
of Mexico City, thousands of varieties of mole
will be prepared for sampling and competition.
This spicy sauce is a Mexican staple and
made of unsweetened chocolate, peppers and
spices, often served with meat or poultry. Eat
your fill and take some home. www.milpa-alta.
df.gob.mx
Second week of October: Street Theater
International Festival – Zacatecas,
Zacatecas. This International Festival was
begun in 2002. This event takes place at open
spaces and in direct contact with the people.
October 13 – 15: International Nacho
Fest – Piedras Negras. A celebration with
music, contests and diverse gastronomy in
this festival that has been celebrated for the
past 8 years. Artistic and cultural activities
are celebrated in this festival that includes
“Miss Tourism,” as well as a contest for the
biggest nacho of the world as registered in
the Guinness Book of World Records. www.
proturac.com; [email protected]
October 13–30: Revueltas Festival
– Durango, Durango. Offers an extensive
range of events for cultural lovers, dance
presentations, music, expositions, literary
events, poetry, story tellers, popular art, and
an endless number of artistic expressions.
Cultural Institute of Durango (01 618) 12860-08 y 128-60-11 http://www.iced.gob.mx;
diseñ[email protected]; disenoiced@hotmail.
com
Third Sunday of October: Tradicional Fair
– Nochistlan, Zacatecas. See bullfights,
cultural, and sports events, expositions.
Among the main places of interest that can be
visited are the temple of San Francisco, the
temple of San Sebastián, temple of San José,
the Market, the Arches (aqueduct of the 18th
century), and more.
October 17–26. Tradicional Palenque
– State of Jalisco. Traditional festivals,
cockfighting, and commercial handcrafts
exhibition where you can enjoy the culture of
Guadalajara. http://www.jalisco.gob.mx/index.
html
October 18–19: 2006: Baja California
Meeting Point – Tijuana, Baja California.
This summit will include hundreds of
meetings, one-on-one consultations and a
full two-day program of conferences and
discussion panels. Discussion topics include
financing, real state appraisals and valuation
systems, tax and legal framework, sustainable
development. For more information, please
contact: [email protected] or visit the
web page: www.bajacaliforniameetingpoint.
com
  
Guadalajara 

Mexico City
Oaxaca 
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Vintage Pottery Continued
I was first intro-duced to this lovely
blue ARIAS pottery by dealer Cathy de
le Ree of Yuma, Arizona, who thought
I might like it. Whatever there is to
know about Mexican pottery, Cathy
knows it, and she was so right. I have
purchased every piece of this pottery
that I have seen, but it is very rare
and hard to find, although still not too
expensive. It is also pretty sturdy, as
all of my pieces are mint. The 12-inch
pitcher on the left cost me $75, the
tea pot $55, and the demitasse cup
and saucer $20, but none of these
were recent purchases.
about it – design, texture, density – is so
purely the same that I prefer to imagine that
the artist got bored with green, or ran out
of green paint, or even produced a special
order for someone who preferred blue. It’s
these oddball things that sometimes make
collecting even more fun. Florentino Jimon
Barba is making what he calls Bandera
pottery today, but while the painting style
is similar, Jimon leaves out the green, and
again, the very smooth surface of his work
gives it away as new.
There is one last glazed tourist pottery
from Tlaquepaque that doesn’t have any
particular name that I know of. I know of
its origin only because most pieces have
impressed on the back “Tlaquepaque,
Mexico,” with occasionally an added
impression that says “Arias,” meaning that it
was either made or sold or both by Josefina
Arias de Pendretti, who had a legendary
workshop and store in Tlaquepaque from
approximately 1920 through the 50’s. These
primarily dinnerware pieces are made of
thick, almost clunky, clay, and are glazed a
deep medium blue with a delicately painted
floral pattern outlined in ivory. In some of
my pieces, the intensity of the blue varies
and the ivory outlines are sometimes thicker
in places, indicating to me that the pieces
were hand-painted and glazed, perhaps by
different artists. This pottery is hands down
my favorite of the many styles created in
the Guadalajara area, and is gratifyingly
rare while at the same time not yet elevated
to cost-prohibitive status, although its
value has steadily climbed since I was first
introduced to it.
Many of the glazed styles – Fantasia,
Tlaquepaque, Art Deco and Aztec – can be
found in burnished pottery, although I have
not seen or heard of petatillo being produced
without glaze. All of the others, however, can
be found with a burnished surface although
these pieces do not seem to be as prevalent in
these styles as the glazed. Popular burnishedonly pottery designs are mostly from the
Guadalajara area, done in a distinctly Tonala
style, and seem to fall into three primary
categories – linear patterns consisting of lines
in varying thickness with occasional geometric
shapes dividing them, what is known as the
floral style, which includes very whimsical
flowers and animals, and a final, less prevalent
variation known as featherware, also showing
flowers and birds, but created with a very
feathery look to the painting. Sometimes
burnished pottery has a lovely, smooth,
delicately shiny finish that is flawless and
beautiful to look at. However, because it is
not glazed, the finish can also often be flawed
from bumps and scrapes, or cloudy from
having water applied to it, either inside or out.
Also, the vintage variety is still made from
hand-mixed red clay and is very susceptible to
chipping.
In terms of pricing, burnished pottery does not
seem to demand quite the same high prices
as glazed, but sometimes an especially large
or uniquely designed piece will come along
that will end up selling for fairly hefty money.
As in all tourist ware, the condition of the
piece will weigh heavily in determining value
– pieces that are mint or near-mint, or whose
flaws are not visible, will always demand more
than a piece with visible chips or cracks. Most
collectors do not attach much importance to
the ordinary blemishes expected to be found in
hand-mixed clay unless they seriously interfere
with the design of the piece.
There are some artists in the Guadalajara area
today making burnished pieces in the same
Continued on page 7
I rarely see any feather-ware for sale
anywhere, but I did find this lovely piece
on eBay. Luckily, most people didn’t
recognize it for what it is, so it became
mine for $55.
Readers’ Comments
on the Mexican
Election
Jim Madsen writes –
If the poor cannot rise economically, coupled
with the U.S.’s sealing the borders, things
could get ugly in Mexico for tourists and expats, in my humble opinion.
Joseph Flynn writes –
I presume the election would not have
been a feature in Mas o Menos if it was
Obrador who was ahead by 240,000 votes.
The election was monitored in the extreme.
Obrador had over 50% in the polls when
the campaign started. He blew it. Instead
of marching in Mexico City, he should have
spent more time getting out the vote in the
southern states.
Steve Hagan writes –
I can only agree with your brief editorial
concerning the recent election and the
absolute right of the Mexican people to
elect their own leader. Because I really don’t
know enough about the questions pertaining
to the process of the Presidential election,
I can’t comment on how its outcome was
calculated.
However, I have spent considerable time
and effort learning about the process
which decided the outcome of our last two
Presidential elections. The 2000 election
was in fact a coup d’etat wherein the organs
of government were used to subvert the
actual electoral process, especially in
Florida. It has been extensively documented
(M. Crispin Miller and many others) that the
Ohio electoral results were manipulated in
a variety of ways. Of course, the vote count
in Ohio determined the continuation of GW
Bush’s residency in the White House.
I think that it is no coincidence that the PAN
is supported by the same oligarchy (different
country, but same kind of people) that
has written the checks for the Bush family
ascendancy in the US. (We know that Bush
and Fox had been linked for years.) The
alleged manipulation in Mexico is all too
familiar – rampant disqualification of voters,
discarded ballots, deliberate miscounting
of ballots, premature declaration of victory,
“sore loser” accusations, building a
transition team without a certified result, a
late blooming mainstream media campaign
asserting that the underdog, Calderon,
was closing fast on the frontrunner, Lopez
Obredor, thus setting the expectation that
Calderon would win. My suspicious mind
can easily envision the Calderon campaign
people taking notes from Karl Rove and
his gang. I know that Calderon hired the
PR/Marketing firm that did the bulk of the
work for Bush ’04. My sincere hope is that
the votes will be accurately (re)counted and
a genuine winner can be determined. The
Mexican citizenry has been abused and
oppressed for so long, they deserve a fair
shake. It looks like a hell of a mess with no
easy solution.
  
5
Hostal Los Pilares
by Lynne Doyle
Lynne Doyle is a longtime Mexico File
subscriber and contributing editor from
Maine. The object of the Las Joyas de
Mexico feature is to highlight for MF readers
some of the lesser-known but most rewarding
of Mexico’s geographic, human and artistic
treasures. Lynne can be contacted at
[email protected].
On a mostly deserted little street in the barrio
of Jalatlaco in Qaxaca, ten blocks off the
beaten track of the zocalo and the Alcala, is
the surprising little boutique hotel, Hostal
Los Pilares. This is not a large hotel, nor is
it well-known or heavily advertised, but it is
a perfect little pearl of a place, where every
corner of every room, staircase and corridor
is carefully thought out and flawlessly
decorated. Every need is anticipated, every
service provided. It is, quite simply, an oasis
of uniquely tranquil perfection in a city
known for its quaint, picturesque hotels.
Los Pilares is a two-story structure with a
rooftop restaurant, pool, and Jacuzzi. Its
The U-shaped lobby of Hostal Los
Pilares surrounds the courtyard and
bar with numerous cozy, beautifully
furnished conversation areas. The
furniture is comfortable and the
ambiance peaceful and lovely, with
plants, impressive folk art pieces done
by Oaxaca’s finest artists – artfully
arranged, and stunning art work on the
walls.
twenty or so rooms and suites vary in price
according to size and amenities, but all are
carefully arranged for maximum comfort.
Suites have little tables in tiny courtyards
complete with bottles of wine, and all suites
and rooms have hand-painted frescoes of
flowers and vines. Televisions are large and
new with real English-speaking channels and
not just CNN International. Common areas
6
All of the rooms I saw at Los Pilares
were decorated in a manner similar
to this one – light, hand-embroidered
bedding, luxurious large bathrooms,
dark rustic Mexican furniture, and
some variation of the hand-painted
leaf-and-bird design shown in this
photograph. Each room’s numbers are
hand-painted within a floral design.
The attention to detail in this hotel is
incredible.
are decorated
with fine,
comfortable
furniture,
regional
folk art, and
indigenous
plants, and
meals are
served both
on the roof
and in a
dining and
bar area in the
ground-floor
courtyard.
The ambiance in this hotel bows to style,
comfort, luxury and a stunning vignette of
serene beauty in any direction you care to
look. Last fall when we were there, even the
offrenda constructed in the lobby in tribute to
the Day of the Dead festival had one of the
most beautiful Catrinas any of us had ever
seen.
Hostal Los Pilares is not my usual choice in
hotels – as I spend little time in my room, I
tend toward less expensive places that are
clean and have decent water pressure. I also
lean toward small, family-run hotels that are
friendly and might notice if I didn’t come in
at night. I don’t attach a lot of importance
to hand-embroidered duvets or excessively
fluffy towels, nor do I require lots of TV
channels and slippers to be provided for me.
However, this little gem of a place somehow
captured my imagination – I think because
it is such a feast for the eyes. And unlike
many places similar to it, it isn’t really all
Typical of
some of
the decor
vignettes
found all
over Los
Pilares is this
chest with
orchids found
in the first
floor lobby.
Everywhere
you look in
this building
there is
something
enchanting to
see.
that expensive. During the most important
holiday of the year, a room could still be had
for $110/night including breakfast. Suites
were more in the range of $180-$240/night
depending on size, but with these spacious,
beautifully lit rooms, we couldn’t decide who
would require a suite.
Since Oaxaca is famous for its many
excellent and varied restaurants, we
generally venture out for dinner at night,
but one evening we instead enjoyed one
lovely dinner at an umbrella table in Los
Pilares’ courtyard. We had hoped to enjoy
the sunset over the mountains from the
roof, but our waiter patiently explained that
the roof was uncomfortably chilly and he
felt we would be more comfortable in the
protected courtyard, even though it meant
that he would have to run up and down two
flights of stairs serving us. In the mellow
lighting, we did indeed enjoy our various
dinners of regional Oaxacan cuisine and
some very nice Mexican wine, and we were
pleasantly surprised at the very reasonable
prices. However, there was no dissuading
us from breakfast served in the sun every
morning. Mexican service is seldom brisk
and it wasn’t here, either, but the excellent
endless coffee and the wonderfully Mexican
tradition of leisurely, unrushed meals, the
lovely potted plants and intensely colored
bougainvillea surrounding us, along with
the breathtaking views over the city and
surrounding mountains, made the idea of
waiting almost a bonus. For all the meals
served at Los Pilares, I observed only one
tiny fly in the ointment – a pat of butter
frozen in a not-quite-square shape. Can you
believe it?
Hostal Los Pilares can be found at Calle
Curtidurias #721, Barrio Jalatlaco, and can
be reached for reservations from the United
States at 01 52 9 518 6999 or 01 52 9 518
7000. As yet, I have found no website for
this hotel, nor have I found it listed on any of
the general Oaxacan websites. I did discover
that most cab drivers in Oaxaca don’t know
where this place is, so it was most efficient
Continued on page 8
A view of the jacuzzi and pool on the
roof of Los Pilares, with the Sierra
Madres in the background.
Vintage Pottery Continued
I’m not a huge fan of burnished pottery,
but this lovely nine-inch patterned
plate with a wide floral border
intrigued me. Once again, I got lucky,
and no one was sure what it was, so I
was able to purchase it for $30. Cathy
de le Ree taught me that if a piece is
one of a kind, it most likely is valuable.
The relatively rough texture of the
clay denotes the plate’s age, although
these brighter colors are not typical
of burnished Tonala pottery, either
vintage or new. I like to think it was
some potter’s happy accident.
patterns as vintage burnished-only designs,
but again, the texture of the clay can often be
instrumental in determining if a piece is old
or new. Also, pieces by contemporary artists
will tend to be signed, as Mexican ceramists
in this important shopping area have learned
that signed items, even if no one has ever
heard of the artist, are of more value to
collectors. However, I have not seen today’s
artisans making burnished pieces in the same
patterns common to glazed pieces. It would
be highly unusual, if not impossible, to find
a new burnished Fantasia plate anywhere on
earth, so if you should happen to find one of
these very rare pieces, it will most likely be
a vintage piece.
The last category of vintage tourist ware
pottery is also the least in demand and the
least valuable, although it is becoming more
popular daily. This is the flat finish pottery
known as Opaque. This pottery will be found
MF
THE MEXICO FILE
The Newsletter for Mexicophiles
almost exclusively in decorative items such
as vases, little boxes, and chargers designed
to be hung. Its designs can be just about
anything except for petatillo, but mostly
seem to be either linear, floral, Aztec or rural
scenes similar to the Tlaquepaque form, but
done in a distinctly Tonala style. The colors
in Opaque pieces tend to be more muted than
those found in Tlaquepaque, but are equally
beautiful in their own way. Some collectors
find them dull-looking, but I find that the
subtlety of most pieces has a grace all their
own.
Also important in the overall mix of Mexican
tourist wares were the various varieties
produced in Oaxaca, and I have found that
some collectors have a strong preference
for these items. Oaxacan ceramists were
nowhere near as prolific as those in greater
Guadalajara, perhaps because fewer
tourists made their way as far south as
Oaxaca, but for those who did, the rewards
were enormous. All tourist ware I have
found from Oaxaca has been glazed, and
is completely and totally unique in style,
both from each other and from anything
manufactured further north.
Most popular and numerous among them is
the very colorful Oaxacan dripware. This
pottery is primarily table ware – pieces
that at the time were perceived to be useful
for dining – although like most vintage
Mexican pottery, it is now known to contain
lead. It comes in numerous colors and color
combinations, the most valuable being the
rarer colors such as plum and yellow, and
pewter and white, and the most numerous
being cobalt and green combined with white
and riotous mixes of yellow, orange, blue
and green on a white background. The paints
appear to have been brushed liberally and
haphazardly onto the clay pieces and they
often mixed, so no piece is ever the same as
any other, and often unusual and beautiful
shades are created by the combinations
running together. I have a particular
fondness for dripware for two reasons – you
can still buy it without first mortgaging
your home, and the bright, intense colors
are so cheerful and totally Mexican to my
eyes. Also, Oaxacan ceramists created many
unusual molds for their vessels that have not
been duplicated in other kinds of potteries.
I think I have to admit here that my all-time
favorite tourist pottery is what dealers refer
to as Alfereria Jimenez, after the Oaxacan
family that created it. This is a paper-thin
variety of tableware done exclusively in
rust and ivory colors. I have seen only four
different patterns, three of which are based
on geometric Mixtec and Zapotec designs
and the fourth of which, called La Pluma,
Continued on page 8
Opaque pottery comes in many colors
and patterns, but most of them involve
rural Mexican landscapes or floral
designs similar to the 14-inch pitcher
on the left. So I was thrilled to find the
16-inch pitcher to the right with the
fantasia pattern. It cost me $80, but it
is the only one I have ever seen. The
nine-inch tumbler up in the center with
the Aztec patterns dates back to at
least the 1950’s and belonged to my
mother.
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I’ve never been sure what this
dripware piece is, exactly – obviously
a container for some kind of beverage
– but it’s only the second of its kind
I’ve ever seen and is also a striking
example of the amazing colorations
possible in this kind of pottery. The
vessel stands at 13 inches and each of
the four hanging cups 2.5 inches – too
large for tequila, maybe for chocolate?
This was one of my luckiest finds
– I paid $6 for it on eBay. I’m told it’s
worth about $120 now.
7
Vintage Pottery Continued
Agave Fields and World Heritage
The agave fields, north of Guadalajara, have
been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage
sites. Since 1972 UNESCO has inscribed 812
properties in 137 countries worldwide on its
World heritage list. It is Mexico’s 26th site to
be added since 1972. The agave plant is used
in the production of tequila, and is centered
around the town of the same name.
Auto Exports on Rise
The Mexican Auto Industry Association
reports that production was up 21 percent
last year, while exports grew 32 percent. So
far this year the numbers are up 37 percent
and 48 percent. Since NAFTA was signed
into law 12 years ago, northern Mexico has
attracted billions of U.S. dollars for the U.S.
auto industry. General Motors recently broke
ground on a $650 million plant in San Luis
Potosi and Ford Motor Co. is considering an
investment of $9.2 billion in Mexico over the
next six years.
  
Los Pilares Continued
to say “near Casa Arnel” (the backpacker’s
place every driver recognizes) and then direct
the driver two blocks towards town on Calle
Aldama and then a right onto Curtidurias for
one block.
Even if you don’t choose to stay at Los Pilares,
it is definitely worth the excursion for a
breakfast on the roof – another special delight
in the plethora of delights that is Oaxaca.
  
The hotel’s restaurant is at the opposite
end of the roof from the pool, with a
large patio between for sun chairs and
enjoying the view. The roof at sunset is
particularly breathtaking as you watch
the sun slip behind the mountains and
the lights of the city wink on along with
the stars.
8
The delicacy of this pottery is what
captures my imagination the most
– I can’t figure out how any of it has
lasted more than 60 years. The small
tea pot on the left is the very unique
La Pluma pattern, the eight-inch plate
looks like a Zapotec design to me, and
the larger tea pot on the right has a
pattern similar to the mosaics found
on the temples at Mitla, a Mixtec ruins
outside Oaxaca. This kind of pottery is
still very rare – from left to right, $40,
$60, and $120
looks like leaves or plumes and bears no
resemblance to the other three. The ivory
glaze was applied over the red clay and
the designs were scratched into the glaze,
creating grooves and spaces through which
the terra cotta color would then appear.
Additionally, the Jimenez family would
scratch into the back of the piece (with the
exception of cups) “Casa Jimenez, Oaxaca,”
and on larger plates would include the
family’s street address and sometimes even
the name of the design pattern used.
Because the clay was so thin, the shapes of
these pieces are often asymmetrical, and
it takes very little to chip or break them.
However, without visible damage, this is
some of Mexico’s most unique and beautiful
vintage pottery. When I initially discovered
it, the cost was surprisingly reasonable, but
like its cousins, it is steadily increasing in
value.
The last of the Oaxacan glazed tourist
potteries is a cheerful, sunny little design
called by dealers and collectors splatterware.
This primarily tableware pottery has a dark
tan background sprinkled liberally with
spiky daisy-like white flowers with yellow
centers and stylized green leaves. Its design
is primitive, simplistic and impossibly
cheerful and one collector/dealer/mentor of
mine once justified her love of it by saying
that it just makes her smile. I don’t have a lot
of splatterware because it is still relatively
inexpensive to buy and gets gobbled up
almost immediately on the rare occasions that
it comes up for sale.
The kicker to this discussion of these most
collectible vintage potteries is that they
do not, for all intents and purposes, exist
in Mexico – anywhere. I have looked
everywhere I can find an antique store in
Mexico and have only once or twice seen
any of it, and when I have, it has been so
beaten up as to be virtually worthless. If you
want this stuff, you are stuck with antique
stores primarily in the Southwest, Texas and
California, although some has been found
in the Midwest United States, as well as
with internet dealers. Most of my vintage
touristware has been purchased on eBay
from dealers in those areas of the country.
Occasionally a piece will turn up in Florida,
I think because the people who used the Pan
American Highway retired there. Only once,
many years ago, have I found a collection
being sold at an antique store here in Maine.
I am told by my dealer friends around the
country that all varieties are getting very
scarce everywhere, but I have noticed that
when a piece sells for huge money on eBay,
more of it will turn up immediately following
the big sale. So it’s out there and many
collectors will part with some of their lesser
pieces in order to purchase better ones. And
you never know – someone else’s lesser
piece could be your treasure. For the most
part, dealers are knowledgeable and honest,
but there are yard-salers out there who don’t
know what they are talking about who will
mislabel their items. Sometimes this works
for you, as when they don’t know what they
have, they also often don’t know what it’s
worth, but sometimes they think what they
have is worth much more than it really is,
and new collectors can be misled. So if you
have any interest at all in these beautiful
pieces of pottery, start now before prices
escalate even more, be careful and don’t
be afraid to ask questions. There are many
people out there – both dealers and collectors
– who are willing to help you learn. It’s a
wonderful hobby to have – even if it can
cut seriously into your shoe or dinner-out
budgets – and you can always tell your
spouse that it’s home décor.
  
A tough little ceramic, Splatterware
– when it is found – seems to be mostly
in mint condition and doesn’t cost too
much. Eight-inch bowl, $40, ten-inch
pitcher, $65.