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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 13 



The fruit of both the cultivated gourd vine 

 (p. 137) and the calabash tree (no. 300) is used 

 extensively in Taj in, following very simple prep- 

 aration. 



A gourd is picked green and is allowed to dry 

 before it is cut to form the desired receptacle. 

 The vine produces fruit of three forms (p. 137). 

 One, banjo-shaped, is divided longitudinally with 

 a knife, and two large spoons or dippers result. 

 The elongated, necked form sometimes is used as 

 a water container. A cut is made at the top, near 

 the peduncle ; water and small stones are dropped 

 in; and the fruit is shaken violently. This treat- 

 ment is repeated several times, until the water runs 

 clear, following which the vessel is ready for use. 

 A globular fruit may be cut transversely, to form 

 a plate or open bowl. Such gourds are general 

 utility containers in every Totonac kitchen ; often, 

 they also function as pot covers. With the sec- 

 tion adjacent to the stem sliced off, the globular 

 gourd forms a receptacle in which hot tortillas are 

 served. A gourd of similar shape, with a hole 

 hacked in one side, and with two perforations 

 for suspension from the waist, is used to collect 

 weeds in the milpa. Formerly, seed for planting 

 was carried to the field in such a container. In 

 no case is the fruit of the gourd vine decorated. 



Some calabash trees produce globular fruit, 

 some, elongated. The former is cut transversely 

 in half. At times the flesh is allowed to rot; at 

 times it is not removed, and the half fruit is boiled 

 at once, then exposed to night dew to bleach. The 

 half calabash is an extremely useful bit of kitchen 

 equipment; it is particularly favored for dipping 

 liquids, since it is much more durable than is the 

 gourd. 



Sometimes water is carried to the fields in a 

 calabash. A cut is made near the stem, and with 

 a small stick the seeds and flesh are extracted, 

 after which the shell is boiled. A corncob serves 

 as a cork, and the receptacle (known as 0uyuyu) 

 is carried in a maguey fiber shoulder bag. The 

 elongated fruit receives similar treatment when 

 destined as a water container. More often, it is 

 simply cut lengthwise and each half used as a 

 dipper. 



The prepared half shell of the globular cala- 

 bash sometimes is taken to Papantla to be orna- 

 mented, as is the wooden tray (p. 211) . Both sur- 

 faces are covered with commercial red paint, and 



on the convex side, is added a floral or bird design 

 in polychrome (pi. 21, c). Like the tray, the 

 painted calabash is one of the gifts usually stipu- 

 lated by the bride's family. It is far less useful 

 than is the tray, and generally is stored among 

 minor household treasures, to be extracted upon 

 special occasions and used as a drinking cup. 



In addition to local products, lacquered cala- 

 bashes quite often are brought to Papantla, for 

 sale to townspeople and to the Totonac. Concern- 

 ing their provenience, there is considerable con- 

 fusion. Some evidently are outright Olinala 

 (Guerrero) lacquered and painted products; 

 others (pi. 21, d) are similar, yet not entirely 

 typical in decoration. It is believed locally that 

 these lacquered calabashes are "from the State 

 of Puebla." Perhaps this is because they pass 

 through the hands of various middlemen before 

 they reach Papantla; or perhaps because the 

 vendors simply are not interested in divulging 

 the provenience of their wares. We know of no 

 center in Puebla where Olinala-type lacquer is 

 manufactured, although Daniel Rubin de la Bor- 

 bolla tells us that he has heard such copies are 

 being produced in Cholula and a nearby settle- 

 ment. 



CERAMICS 



Virtually every woman in Taj in is her own 

 potter, and every household is strewn with a large 

 assortment of home-made vessels and fragments 

 (in map 9, note the number of pots standing in 

 the house clearing) . 



The range in shape is not very great, but a 

 fairly large number of vessels is in use, many of 

 which have specified functions (see below). As 

 a guess, each household probably has about 20 dif- 

 ferent pottery vessels in daily use, as well as a 

 number of special forms, such as incense burners 

 and candlesticks, which see service less frequently. 



Without exception, Taj in pottery is heavy and 

 crude. It is poorly fashioned, poorly finished, 

 and poorly fired. The color of a single specimen 

 may range from ocher and rosy tan to brown, gray, 

 and black ; firing clouds are prominent, since the 

 ware is baked in an open blaze. All vessels are 

 unglazed. Decoration is scanty and is confined 

 chiefly to incense burners and candlesticks ; painted 

 ornament is extremely rare. Warping and crack- 

 ing are the rule, and quite often a new vessel must 

 be mended before it can be put to use. Cracks are 



