Nuevo Santander Gallery
Fine Art  - Antiques  - Old West Collectibles
717 North Main Street  ¤  McAllen TX  78501
(956) 618-4959  ¤  fax  (956) 618-1746
nsantander@aol.com

Olinalá Lacquerware

The village of Olinalá, in the northwestern part of the state of Guerrero, near Tlapa, is the most important lacquer canter in Mexico.  Its fame goes back to the 18th century and very possibly to Pre Hispanic times.  The two main lacquerware products of Olinalá are gourds and chests.  The gourds come from the fruit of the jicara tree while the chests usually come from the perfumed wood of aloe trees.  Aloe trees have been exploited, however, to such an extend that other woods are often used and then perfumed with essences acquired in Mexico City.  In past times, large lacquerware chests were used in homes to store clothing which was always agreeably scented by the wood.  

The construction of these pieces begins with the sanding of a wooden box or a hard bark gourd.  Next, the piece is sealed with a varnish prepared from oil and earthen pigments.  The pigments are extracted from deposits near Olinalá which are lightly roasted before being ground to powder.  After drying, a stone is used to burnish the surface until smooth.  Powdered calcareous pigments mixed with oil are then applied in many layers until the desired tone and shine are achieved.  Afterward, the piece is set aside for up to a month to dry.   Finally, the piece is ready for decoration, and the outlines of a design are first sketched.  Motifs are created spontaneously.  Each color is applied and allowed to dry before the next is put on the surface.  Often the brushes used to apply this color are homemade from bird feathers or cat hair.