CHERAN : A SIERRA TARASCAN VILLAGE — BEALS 



43 



vmp 



Figure 9. — Lathe driven by a bow. A candlestick, about 12 inches long, is in process of manufacture. 



bottom views show the position of the cutting tool. 



The two 



carpenter. Inasmuch as a detailed description 

 of houses, house use, and house furnishings has 

 already been published, no discussion is in- 

 cluded here (Beals, Carrasco, and McCorkle, 

 1944). 



As mentioned previously, one man in Cheran 

 manufactures chocolate beaters of simple type. 

 They are made of madrono wood and are turned 

 on a crude lathe (fig. 9). Power is provided 

 by a bow with the string wrapped about the 

 shaft of the lathe. The left hand is used to 

 work the bow. The lathe rests on the ground, 

 and both the bare feet and the right hand are 

 used to manipulate the tools. The tools and 

 technique are characteristic of Paracho, where 

 a wide variety of turned wood products is made, 

 including bowls, vases, candlesticks, chocolate 

 beaters, salt and pepper shakers, and chessmen. 



Broom handles are made by one family, as 

 already mentioned. Pine logs are split into 

 long staves, which are whittled into a roughly 

 round shape with a knife. The entire product 



is sold in Patzcuaro, where there is a broom 

 factory. 



MISCELLANEOUS PROCESSES 



Wax bleaching and candlemaking. — Beeswax 

 is often bleached by exposure to the sun. 

 Melted wax is poured into bowls so that it 

 forms a thin shell over the inside. These shells 

 are removed and exposed to the sun for several 

 days until the wax becomes white. Although 

 the wax loses weight by this process, it sells for 

 no more than unbleached wax. The extra 

 effort thus apparently results in an economic 

 loss, making the motivations for the work some- 

 what obscure. Although men do all other work 

 connected with beekeeping, women often bleach 

 the wax. 



Candles are made by men. Two candle- 

 makers are reputed to live in Cheran. The 

 only one who could be located was always so 

 drunk at the time of interviewing that little 

 reliability can be attached to the data secured 



