quiroga: a MEXICAN MtnsriciPio — brand 



169 



tierra colorada is used with linseed oil and the 

 japan drier. When only a small number of bateas 

 are worked aU steps of the maquea are completed 

 within 1 day, but if several dozen bateas are being 

 worked usually the black is applied and polished 

 one day and the job is completed the next d&j. 



The number of bateas that can be completed in 

 1 day varies with the age and skill of the worker, 

 how much time she can spare from household 

 duties, and the size of the bateas. Because of 

 these factors we found great differences in output 

 per day or week of any given size, and the women 

 could not estimate rate of work in terms of hours. 

 We calculated range, average, and mode for the time 

 consumed on different sizes, but we do not feel that 

 these figures are very accurate or significant. The 

 basic consideration is the size of the batea. Ap- 

 parently there are two systems of classification 

 (one traditional, and the other possibly established 

 by some of the merchants) which overlap somewhat 

 and occasion much confusion. The traditional 

 system may have begun with the Spanish yard 

 and subdivisions, which became converted into 

 metric equivalents, of which there exist the sizes 

 Icnown as frutera (fruit bowl or fruit tray), media 

 Jrutera, chucheria, cuarta or chica, and jeme. The 

 newer system goes by numbers (theoretically from 

 1 to 4 or 5), of which only 2, 3, and 4 are used. 

 Due to the lack of large trees, practically no bateas 

 larger than 50 cm. in diameter are made, and the 

 largest fall into the media frutera and chucheria 

 classes. It was reported that once in a long time 

 bateas % of a meter, 1, meter, and even larger were 

 made, and these wereteterred to as especiales. In 

 such cases the bowls often took on the oval or 

 oblong form of a tray. The following tabulation 

 gives the names and rangeB'.we obtained for the 

 various sizes. xob i. 



Traditional Recent "O^" Diameter {cm.) 



Especial --j- (7). 



Frutera --. (■?.). 



Media frutera 50-80. 



Chucheria Dos^ (2) Ca. 45. 



Tres (3) • 34-40, mainly 36-38. 



Cuatr6(4)-- 30-34, average 32. 



Cuarta or chica 25-27, usually 26. 



Jeme Ca. 16. 



Also, tiny bateas (known as bateitas) are made for 

 use as earring pendants (aretes), and these are 

 known as of the size of a peso or a half peso (tostSn) . 

 Probably more than 90 percent of the bateas made 

 in Quu'oga are cuarta, cuatro, and tres. Locally 



there seems to be much confusion between cuarta 

 and cuatro, and between tres and chucheria — at 

 least among the maqueadoras. Production of No. 3 

 bateas varied from 1.5 to 3.5 dozen a day, for 

 which they were paid 60ff to 85f* a dozen — possibly 

 an average output of 2.5 dozen a day at 75?f a 

 dozen. No. 4 bateas were slipped at rates varying 

 from 1.5 to 5 dozen a day, with pay 60^ to 70(^ 

 a dozen — an average production of 3 dozen a day 

 at 65fi a dozen. From 1.5 to 12 dozen cuartas were 

 slipped a day, for which they received 40^ to 75?f 

 a dozen — averaging 3.5 dozen a day at 55^ 

 a dozen. This income is not net. The materials 

 purchased may cost from 10^ to 30ff per dozen 

 bateas. The women themselves compute an 

 average net income of $6 to $7 a week derived 

 from maqueando. 



After the maquea the bateas go to the merchant, 

 painter, or other entrepreneur who contracted for 

 the work, imless they are owned in the family, in 

 which case usually the woman who applied the 

 slip also paints on the decorations. The majority 

 of the bateas are slipped on contract. Before 

 painting can begin a "varnish" of shellac (japan) 

 dissolved in tm-pentine is applied. There are a few 

 families which do nothing but apply this barniz to 

 bateas belonging to some of the merchants, but 

 most of the varnishing is done by the pintores or 

 people who paint on the decorations. All of the 

 painting is done in the homes of the pintores. 

 The painters of Quiroga are divisible into three 

 groups: (a) those who paint only bateas, of whom 

 there are about 35; (b) those who paint bateas, 

 chairs, pottery, spoons, earrings, etc., who number 

 perhaps 20; and (c) those who paint chairs and 

 other items, but not bateas. Most of the 50 to 60 

 people who paint bateas do so on contract. The 

 painters run in age from 12 to 48, and there are 

 a few more men than women painters. Painting 

 is a full-time occupation excepting for those who 

 paint only bateas, since there is not a sufficient 

 supply of bateas for all during the rainy season. 

 The other painters switch to painting chairs, 

 pottery, etc., dming the slack season. Equipment 

 consists of brushes and a variety of bottles, cans, 

 and terra-cotta jars to hold the pigments, oils, 

 drier, turpentine, etc. The brushes are broad 

 brochas, used for applying the varnish, which are 

 purchased from the stores at prices ranging from 

 $1.25 to $2, and fine pinceles for painting on the 

 decorations. Most of the painters make their 



