100 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PUBLICATION NO. 6 



down to his last shirt. At this point he sobers 

 up, becomes the model hard worker, and builds 

 up his resources until he can again repeat the 

 process. 



Molds are made by covering an olla or can- 

 taro with clay to a thickness of 1 to 3 cm., 

 depending on its size, in two separate halves, 

 which are temporarily joined with small lumps 

 at the point of union after the olla or cantaro 

 is taken out. Cazuela and comal molds are 

 made by covering the inside of a finished prod- 

 uct with clay to a sufficient thickness to sup- 

 port the weight and pressure of molding, adding 

 the handle in the center, and drying. Both types 

 of molds are fired along with other pottery. 

 Most families make their own small molds; 

 larger ones are more difficult, and with greater 

 frequency are bought from the specialists. 

 Molds are worth about as much as simple glaz- 

 ed ware of the corresponding size. 



Broken molds are sometimes repaired by 

 sticking the pieces together with pitch. 



DISTRIBUTION AND SALE 



The price of finished pottery depends upon 

 the distance of the market from Tzintzuntzan. 

 For the more common pieces it was possible to 

 establish average prices in Tzintzuntzan itself, in 

 Patzcuaro, a half day away, with pack animals, 

 and in Taretan, 2 days' distance with ani- 

 mals. In Tzintzuntzan there are both wholesale 

 and retail prices; in other towns, only retail. 

 Many of the rescatones. in addition to carrying 

 the pottery made by their wives, fill out with 

 purchases from people who do not want to be 

 bothered with selling or, perhaps, from widows 

 or elderly men who are unable to pack and carry 

 their pottery to market. These purchases, though 

 representing a variety of shapes and sizes, are 

 almost invariably expressed in terms of pesos 

 or reales of pottery. A strong mule can carry 

 about one peso of pottery ; a burro half as much. 

 On one trip Wenceslao Pefia carried two pesos 

 of pottery made by his wife, and one additional 

 peso purchased from two different individuals: 



From seller A 



From seller B 

 Total : 



i? 



3 reales of de a medio pots — 6 pots 

 real of de a ciiatro pots — 8 pots 



y2 reales of de a seis pots — 24 pots 

 /2 reales of de a ocho pots — 32 pots 



8 reales, or one peso 



The average price of one peso of pottery is 

 $22 to $24, which figures out at a unit cost 

 considerably less than that charged retail in 

 Tzintzuntzan. The retail and wholesale unit 

 prices in Tzintzuntzan, and the retail prices in 

 Patzcuaro and Taretan of the more common 

 sizes are given in the following tabulation: 



Prices of Tzintzuntzan pottery in three towns 



Fottery 



011a or cantaro: 



l/i Bolera 



Bolera 



Atolera 



De a 10 



De a 8 



De a 6 



De a 4 



Kuiclia 



Tacha 



De a medio 



Cazuelas: 



Pajarera ( V2 bolera ) . . 

 Turquera (bolera I . . . 

 Mantequera (atolera). 



De a 10 



De a H 



De a 6 



De a 4 



Kuioha 



Taclia 



Bunuelera (de a medio) 



Sopera (de a un real) 



Guajolotera (de a dos 



reales) 



Tareta 



Retail 



SO.IO 



.15 



.25 



.35 



.45 



.75 



1.00 



1.50 



2.00 



3.00 



.075 



.15 



.30 



.40 



.50 



1.00 



1.50 



2.00 



3.00 



4.00 



5.00 



10.00 



Comales are much less expensive, ranging up 

 to -SI. 00 in Tzintzuntzan for the largest size. A 

 heavy coating of black glaze increases the value 

 of ollas from 30 percent to 60 percent, depend- 

 ing upon the amount of glaze used. On the 

 longer trips the large de a medio pots appreciate 

 in value only about 100 percent, as against 200 

 percent to 300 percent for smaller sizes. At 

 first glance it would appear that they would 

 not be worth lugging along. Actually their 

 value lies in their use in packing. Up to four 

 dozen media boleros and smaller numbers of 

 larger pots can be packed in such a large pot, 

 with no danger of breakage. Hence, the large 

 pot is an ideal carrying vehicle and would be 

 taken, even if the price were no higher than in 

 Tzintzuntzan. Packing is done in special crates 

 or huacales, which consist of strips of quiote 

 stalk lashed to the outside of half a dozen large 



