Yesterday was a day filled of Oaxacan tradition. We travelled to three traditional craft buildings, each of which contained masters of their craft (pottery, wood, weaving).
First we learned about the black pottery of which Oaxaca is known for. Here they call it Barro Negro. The detail and skill put into these amazing sculptures is astonishing. It takes 16 hours in the oven to make them water proof and to give them their characteristic black color.
We got to watch as one of the masters showed us the process for making Barro Negro. This is the start of the pot before he transforms it. It was unbelievable how fast he worked and perfect the pot still came out.
Here is the products of the pots he made and it only took him about 20 minutes!!! Look at the detail in the flower. He said that he could do any flower in the world and if we wanted to bring him a photo of someone he would make us a sculpture for a good price. I can't imagine doing this as a profession. It sounds fun. I guess I should have played with playdoh more as a child haha.
Next we saw the mastery is would carving and painting. They had a wood carving of every animal and all they use are machetes, files, and small knives. In Oaxaca they call these Alebrijes.
One of the coolest parts of the presentation of how the ancient people created all the colors that we use today. It was amazing how he simply combined limestone and pomegranates to make the color green. And then from there, he just added lemon juice, tree bark, and other things to make every other color. And they combined honey and tree sap to make a resin to seal everything.
Look at the detail they out into each sculpture. They said that on average it takes 3-4 weeks to finish one sculpture. Also, each little design has a meaning. For example the body of the sculpture is full of several fish witch is a sign of peace.
Here is one of the amazing final products. All of these sculptures are very colorful and very creative.
Finally, we ended the day with a quick trip to a place where they weave fabrics. These masters made blankets, bags, belts, panchos, and much more without using a needle. Unfortunately, it started to rain really hard so we cut our visit short and this was the only picture I got.
Here are all the guys in our program. We got dressed up and went to a big feast and presentation of a Oaxacan cultural fiesta called The Guelaguetza. This is an indigenous festival held every year in July but we were luck enough to get a small preview from a local hotel.
Here are two dances that have been practiced for hundreds of years. The event was a lot of fun and they dancers even pulled some of the crowd on stage. I, fortunately, wasn't picked but I very much enjoyed looking at the uncomfortable faces of the other people in the program who were selected.
That concludes our first week in Mexico. Next week we start our classes and clinical rotations. I hope you enjoy and are looking forward to seeing many more of my experiences here in Oaxaca. I am definitely excited for the weeks to come.
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