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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PUBLICATION NO. 6 



a medio pots add up to one "peso" of pots, 

 since each was worth half a real and there are 

 8 reales in a peso. Similarly, a "peso" of de a 

 seis pots amounts to 96 units. In the same fash- 

 ion all sizes down to the media bolera. with 384 

 (32 dozen) units to the peso, can be calculated. 

 As calculations are made the atolera corre- 

 sponds to a hypothetical de a doce, the bolera 

 \.o a de a dieciseis, and tlie media bolera to a de 

 a veinticuatro. 



This terminology is useful in estimating the 

 amount of pottery a kiln will hold, and even 

 more so for the rescatones who buy part or all 

 of the wares they carry to the hot country at 

 wholesale prices expressed by quantity and not 

 monetary "pesos." The number of units of each 

 standard size necessary to make one "peso" is 

 as follows: 



De a medio 



Tacha 



Kuicha . . . . 

 De a ciiatro 

 De a seis . . 



16 



32 



48 



64 



96 



De a ocho 128 



De a diez 160 



Atolera 192 



Bolera 256 



Media bolera 384 



Figures 11 and 12 show some of the forms of 

 Tzintzuntzan pots. Most of these are the small 

 chucheria, with both red and black glaze. 



THE KILN 



All pottery kilns in Tzintzuntzan follow a 

 standard design. The average kiln is circular, 

 from 100 to 170 cm. in diameter, rises 75 cm. 

 above ground level, and is excavated an equal 

 distance. The firebox below is separated from 

 the chamber above in which pots are placed by 

 a tapanco or grate of stones. Access to the fire- 

 box is by means of an excavation on one side 

 of the oven which is of approximately the same 

 depth as the firebox itself. An inverted V-shap- 

 ed door is used for firing and removing ashes. 

 Figure 13 shows a cross-section and a front view 

 of a kiln. 



Kiln construction is fairly simple. A circular 

 hole of the desired dimensions is dug, which 

 is enlarged on one side to provide exterior space 

 for firing and ash removal. Walls of this fire- 

 box are lined with large adobes stood on end 



which rise just to ground level. The triangular 

 firedoor consists of two adobes leaned against 

 each other and capped by a third. In the center 

 of the firebox a post of sandstone 30 to 40 cm. 

 in diameter is sunk to a depth of about 20 

 cm. so that its top is flush with the ground level. 

 The grate is of pieces of janamo stone, a light, 

 porous volcanic stone, the same as used to polish 

 pots. This stone is taken from the earth ovens 

 in which mezcal (p. 122) is baked. Stones al- 

 ready "cooked" do not explode when fired, as 

 would unhealed rock. These stones, which are 

 smaller than the bridge to be spanned from kiln 

 edge to sandstone post, are wedged in a very 

 flat arch from a 5 cm. lip on the tops of the 

 adobes to the top of the post. After several fir- 

 ings the stones partially fuse, thus producing a 

 stronger grate, but frequently a section will fall 



Figure 13. — Pottery kiln. Top, outside view showing 

 the firebox door. Bottom, the cross section. 

 a. Sandstone post which su]iports the grate, b. 

 c. The door which opens to the outside excava- 

 tion, ', which allows space for tending the fire. 



