PANDURO

     Mexican clay sculptures have enjoyed a rich tradition of production and sales in Tlaquepaque.  John L. Geiger wrote from London in 1874 after a lengthy visit to Mexico, “But above and beyond everything being sold at the market, by far the most interesting are the little clay figures made by the area’s indigenous people.   It is a self-taught art which is passed on from generation to generation.”
     The paints used are all natural— the blacks came from burnt guayaba tree branches, the red from brick, etcetera.  The water based paints are prepared with a paste extracted from mesquite trees.  Egg whites are used to give luster and transparency to the colors. Homemade brushes of raccoon hair are used for the finer details.  Larger brushes are used to “wash” pieces in a light coating of oily tar known as chapopote.

PLEASE INQUIRE ABOUT CURRENT SELECTION
OF ANTIQUE PANDURO PIECES
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From Donna McMenamin's Popular Arts of Mexico: 1850-1950:

     There is a beautiful monument in Tlaquepaque's zocalo, erected as a
monument to the artisans of that town, and the name Pantaleon Panduro heads
the list.  Panduro is a name that is synonymous with figuras de barro,
monos, and retratos, and there isn't a person in town that doesn't know of
him.  The Panduro family began its figural production in the mid 1800s,
commencing with the great Pantaleon Panduro.
     In as little as thirty minutes, Pantaleon could capture a person's image
in great detail.  His retratos were so lifelike that we was often called El
Brujo; surely he must have some magical power that enabled him to create
such incredible likenesses.
      While the Panduro family may be the best known, there were other noted
mono and retrato sculptors from the Guadalajara area including: Carrance,
Angel (miniatures); Grande, Remigio (missionaries); Medrano, Cruz (biblical figures);
Medrano, Juan; Cruz Medrano (apostles); the Nunez family (street vendors);
Ortega, Reyes (miniatures); Pajar, N. (retratos).
      Collectors create entire vignettes of Mexican life with their monos: the
weekly market, daily village life, or even a whole menagerie of animals.  
With a little imagination, the cries of the street vendors can be heard.