ARTS AND CRAFTS OF MEXICO
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Year Published: 1961
Description: This film "Arts and Crafts of Mexico Part I" shows viewers the cultures, colors and crafts of the Mexican people. It was released in 1961 by Encyclopedia Britannica; a prominent film production company and distributor of educational films during the years of the 1940’s to the 1990’s. It opens as a woman settles down onto a woven straw mat in the village of Amatenango del Valle (:15). This woman is of the Tzeltal tribe whom are known for making a specific type of pottery for hundreds of years (:20). The completed jar is to be used for cooking and drinking water (1:07). Markings are etched to the outside of the jar to show its individuality (1:56). Villages across Mexico bring their handicrafts together (2:10). A bird’s eye view of Mexico’s mountain country follows (2:14). Women move through the market carrying goods (2:19). Clay pots litter the market grounds of assorted sizes and colors (2:29). A Mexican woman holds up a set of dolls (2:52). Some of the work has Spanish influence (3:02) and each region has its own style and specialty. The black ware featured here was created in Coatepec (3:19). Senora Rosa; a particularly skilled potter (3:35) beats a chunk of clay into shape. She takes the pot into the house in order to dry (4:41). A few days later a design is scratched onto the pot’s surface (4:50). The pot is set into a pit to be fired (5:12). A large amount of clay oxide in this region is what leads to the black tone in the pottery (5:47). Talavera pottery is made in Puebla, Mexico (5:59) since the 16th century. A local family works on this intricate and difficult to make pottery (6:19). This pottery is shaped on a potter’s wheel (6:45) and it is made from a blend of three different types of clay. Completed pots are displayed (7:47). The city of Tonala follows (7:54). The pottery which is created here is considered to be the most typically Mexican (8:05). A mug is produced (8:35) and painted (8:44). The Zapotec people are filmed sitting in front of serape (9:15) in the village of Teotitlan. Many of the residents here produce serape (9:21). A family works to pull apart wool (9:54) which will later be washed. At the spinning wheel, wool is spun into yarn (10:27). The wool is dyed (11:03). The upright loom was introduced by the Spaniards (11:18). The female shawl is known as the ribose (11:52). The art of creating these is encouraged by the government and the craft is taught in schools (12:01). A young woman works with a loom (12:27). The film begins to wrap up and leads to the second portion of the feature (13:10). “CANADA’S ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE” 1961 RCMP MOUNTIES EDUCATIONAL FILM XD81715 by PeriscopeFilm
Complete Record: This film "Arts and Crafts of Mexico Part I" shows viewers the cultures, colors and crafts of the Mexican people. It was released in 1961 by Encyclopedia Britannica; a prominent film production company and distributor of educational films during the years of the 1940’s to the 1990’s. It opens as a woman settles down onto a woven straw mat in the village of Amatenango del Valle (:15). This woman is of the Tzeltal tribe whom are known for making a specific type of pottery for hundreds of years (:20). The completed jar is to be used for cooking and drinking water (1:07). Markings are etched to the outside of the jar to show its individuality (1:56). Villages across Mexico bring their handicrafts together (2:10). A bird’s eye view of Mexico’s mountain country follows (2:14). Women move through the market carrying goods (2:19). Clay pots litter the market grounds of assorted sizes and colors (2:29). A Mexican woman holds up a set of dolls (2:52). Some of the work has Spanish influence (3:02) and each region has its own style and specialty. The black ware featured here was created in Coatepec (3:19). Senora Rosa; a particularly skilled potter (3:35) beats a chunk of clay into shape. She takes the pot into the house in order to dry (4:41). A few days later a design is scratched onto the pot’s surface (4:50). The pot is set into a pit to be fired (5:12). A large amount of clay oxide in this region is what leads to the black tone in the pottery (5:47). Talavera pottery is made in Puebla, Mexico (5:59) since the 16th century. A local family works on this intricate and difficult to make pottery (6:19). This pottery is shaped on a potter’s wheel (6:45) and it is made from a blend of three different types of clay. Completed pots are displayed (7:47). The city of Tonala follows (7:54). The pottery which is created here is considered to be the most typically Mexican (8:05). A mug is produced (8:35) and painted (8:44). The Zapotec people are filmed sitting in front of serape (9:15) in the village of Teotitlan. Many of the residents here produce serape (9:21). A family works to pull apart wool (9:54) which will later be washed. At the spinning wheel, wool is spun into yarn (10:27). The wool is dyed (11:03). The upright loom was introduced by the Spaniards (11:18). The female shawl is known as the ribose (11:52). The art of creating these is encouraged by the government and the craft is taught in schools (12:01). A young woman works with a loom (12:27). The film begins to wrap up and leads to the second portion of the feature (13:10). “CANADA’S ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE” 1961 RCMP MOUNTIES EDUCATIONAL FILM XD81715 by PeriscopeFilm
Transcription
foreign [Music] in southern Mexico Indian woman begins work on a water jar [Music] the Zodi lays have been making Pottery in this way for hundreds of years [Music] when the jar is finished it will be useful for storing water for cooking and drinking [Music] it will have Beauty too for it is important to the people of Mexico that things used in everyday life be pleasing [Music] though jar is very much like this one have been found in Ruins dating back to times before Columbus discovered America this jar will have its own individuality it will be just a little different than every other water jar in the world [Music] from Villages all over Mexico today come the handicrafts which have made this Mountain Country so famous as the land of arts and crafts into the markets of the towns and cities flow the products of a people over centuries have been Craftsmen and who still keep alive the ancient handicrafts because they are still useful and still beautiful since most of the people of Mexico are either Indian or Spanish or a mixture of the two their arts and crafts naturally reflect both Indian and Spanish influences each region of the country provides its own specialty baskets from one place serapis from another one can usually tell where a piece of pottery comes from by its characteristic color and pattern the glowing blackware is made in the little village of coyotec the Senora Rosa is famed as the best Potter in the region after forming the clay is allowed to dry slowly in the house where it is cool after several days a design is scratched on the surface now the pieces are ready for the Kiln where there will be fired in the ground at low temperatures for several more days it is part of the Potter's art to know how long and that what temperatures to fire the clay pieces of broken pottery which cover the Kiln are taken and the warm black wear is removed a little polishing and the work is finished blackwear is never painted or glazed the great amount of lead oxide found in the Clays of this region produce the Mellow Black Metallic tone very different from this pottery made according to ancient Indian methods in the Talavera Ware made in the city of Puebla since the 16th century by families like the aguilars descendants of Potters from the city of Talavera in Spain who settled here soon after the Spanish conquest of Mexico Talavera takes much longer to make than ordinary pottery and each step in the process is performed today almost exactly as it was 400 years ago Talavera Ware is formed on a potter's wheel first introduced to Mexico by the Spanish it is made from a careful blend of three different kinds of clay all found near this city of Puebla and very closely resembling those Clays found in Talavera Spain Talavera Ware expensive difficult to make and very Spanish is not at all like the pottery produced in the little village of tonala this Pottery has become perhaps the most typically Mexican many of the people who live in tonala are Potters and the children grow in an atmosphere where pottery making is as natural as eating the designs are Indian and the same ones are used again and again there are almost as many different kinds of pottery made as there are pottery making villages but pottery making is only one of the many arts and crafts of Mexico from the zapotec Indians in the village of teotitlan comes some of the finest sarapis woven from Pure wool some are used for bed covers some for rugs and Village men wear sarapis as cloaks the Garcia family earned their livelihood making sarapis all of the work from shearing the Sheep to the finished Sarape is done by the family the wool is first sorted and washed karting comes next to separate the fibers now to the spinning wheel to transform the wool into yarn from the bobbin the wall is wound into long Loops or Skeen ready for dying the strong upright Loom on which the Sarape is woven was brought to Mexico by the Spaniards who also introduced wool itself until the coming of the Spanish conquerors there were no sheep in Mexico no wool no serapes but the Indians soon learned the use of wool and began making sarapes of marvelous variety each tribe according to its own tastes the riboso the shawl which Mexican women wear was introduced by the Spanish and the Art of making really fine ribosos is encouraged by the government in special schools like this set up to help keep alive these Arts which are so much a part of Mexican culture nowhere else in the world the village handicrafts flourish as they do in Mexico there can be many reasons why but most important the people of Mexico have always been Craftsmen handicrafts are the custom and the people enjoy making useful and beautiful things with their hands [Music]
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