The products shown are for illustrative purposes only and show a small selection of the product range of the individual craftsmen. Please contact us to get further information about availabele products and customized orders.

Alebrijes

Since the Disney/Pixar film "Coco" from 2017 at the latest, the colourful fantasy animals from Oaxaca, the so-called Alebrijes, have been enjoying a broad, international fan community! 

Alebrijes are usually carved by hand from local copal trees and elaborately painted. For carving, often only machete and ordinary kitchen knives are used. 

Barro Blanco (white clay)

Barro Blanco (white clay) is the name given to lampshades and vases with the unmistakable white/cream coating and the unusual animal designs from the pottery village of Santa Maria Azompa. This unique dyeing technique is a family secret and may only be used by a few artisans in the village.  

The basic material of the original lamps and vases is Barro Rojo (red clay), which certain artisans from the community are allowed to take from a nearby mine. First, the clay is shaped by hand. Then the mysterious mineral powder is applied, which results in the characteristic coloring after the firing process. After the sculpture has been allowed to "dry" in the air for some time, the elaborate ara, fish, turtles, peacock or jaguar designs are painted on by hand and then cut out. Now the work of art is only put into the oven for a few hours and the lovingly made, timeless unique piece of clay is ready!

Barro negro (black clay)

Oaxaca is especially famous for its black pottery, the so-called "Barro negro". The place of origin of the Barro negro is the small town of San Bartolo Coyotepec, about 12 km from Oaxaca City. There is a disused mine from which the required clay is extracted. 

Hundreds of years ago, the Zapotecs were already making vessels from barro negro. The clay work from Oaxaca became particularly famous in the 1950s when the potter Doña Rosa discovered a technique that made the clay shine black after firing. To achieve this, the earthenware must be polished with quartz stone before firing and then fired in the kiln for no more than ten hours. The shiny black surface makes the pottery look particularly elegant and noble. Today, the decorative use of ceramics is particularly important.

Ceramics

The pottery of Atzompa has a long tradition. In the archaeological site of the same name, vases, plates and clay figures have already been found. The wood-burning ovens used today by the families of Atzompa are still the same as they were hundreds of years ago. 

Hojalata (Tin)

Who does not love them, the iconic tinplate decoration from Mexico! This authentic Mexican handicraft is stamped and cut by hand and colorfully painted. The kitschy shades are created by the traditional use of aniline paints, which are even mixed by hand. 

Molinillos (Whisks)

A molinillo is a kind of whisk made of wood, which is mainly used to stir cocoa. It's also an essential item for any authentic cocoa ceremony. But also as decoration our high-quality molinillos are a real eye-catcher! 

For our Molinillos, we use native Aile wood, which is odorless and tasteless and therefore especially suitable for a wooden whisk.

Don Jesus grinds the wooden clubs into shape in no time with the help of his specially built lathe. The black coloring of the different Molinillo designs is created by burning, longevity guaranteed! 

Tapetes (Rugs)

Handmade carpets from the small weaving village of Teotitlan de Valle, about 40 minutes from Oaxaca City, enjoy great international popularity. Carpets made at the loom in Oaxaca stand for traditional Zapotec patterns combined with vivid colors, which are exclusively derived from nature. 

It is fascinating that the entire manufacturing process, from shaving the sheep, to dyeing the yarns with natural dyes from plants, insects and minerals, to the actual weaving, doesn't need electricity!