Tonola Jalisco, Barro Brunido & Moises Rodriguez
Tonolá is a city and municipality within the Guadalajara Metropolitan are in the state of Jalisco in Mexico. Tonolá, which has been a ceramics center since the pre-Hispanic period, is best known for its handcrafted art particularly pottery. One of the types of arts you can find in Tonolá is clay sculptures using a technique called Barro Bruñido. Barro Bruñido, or burnished clay, is one of the oldest known pre-Hispanic pottery techniques and the foundation for many other clay techniques. This technique was not an easy one. It begins by selecting the clay and then shaping it. It is then left to airdry for up to a month. Next comes the burnishing stage. In this stage, the clay is moistened little by little and then rubbed smooth with a river stone. A clay slip then is applied to ensure the pores are watertight before the artist paints the design. This is followed by a second burnishing stage with a stone of iron pyrite which shines the surface to a luminous glow. And finally, the art piece is fired between 500 and 700֯ C. (Check out this video to see some of the process of this technique https://fb.watch/aU4SwnFtR5/). Due to this elaborate process, barro Bruñido ends with a strikingly polished surfaced without a glaze.
Although this traditional process lends itself to amazingly beautiful and unique results, only a small group of artisans continue using this technique. For these artisans, it is more than just livelihood but a way to preserve their heritage. One of these artists is Moises Rodriguez.
Moises Rodriguez B is from Tonolá, Jalisco, Mexico, just outside of Guadalajara. He was one of 5 apprentices of Salvador Vasquez, a very well-known, renowned Great Master. From him, he learned the technique of Barro Bruñido. Moises has adapted this technique to create his own one-of-a-kind, many times hand-painted, creations. Today, you can find a lot of his work in the GalerÃa del Maestro Moises Rodriguez in Tonolá, Jalisco. You can also find some of his work here on It's Cactus!
