PRECOLOMBIAN ART IN CHAPALA,

Text & photos by : Maria Di Paola Blum

“Back in the ’60 it was not forbiden to sell archeological pieces and those who found one while digging use to sell them” is what we were told by Eva Montaño, 46 year old, daughter of Vicente Montaño Figueroa, a famous “monero” from Chapala (this is how they call those who work making copies of prehispanic clay figures). “Later on- Mrs Eva goes on- the law changed and selling those pieces became a criminal offense. We had to go to Mexico City to obtain a permit to make Duch copies. My dad was a black smith, very good friend of Don Rodolfo Torres, a fine mason who taught us the art of working the clay, which I still do with passion. Here in my workshop in Guerrero 183, in Chapala. The pieces they made were so perfect, they seemed to be the original ones, and some of them are exhibited in various museums around the country. Enrique Wangeman, English teacher in Mexico, renowned for his knowledge of Mexican folk art who used to export it to the USA, and whose effort to make known fine Mexican folk art in the USA, was recognized in the San Francisco Chronicle ten years ago, tells us he used to come to Chapala to buy precolombina pieces, masks, etc. Once he was showing Don Rodolfo Torres a catalog from a Los Ángeles museum because he wanted copies of a particular clay figure displayed on that museum. Don Rodolfo looked carefully at the catalog and told him he had made those pieces in his workshop. Now days this tradition is carried on by Don Rodolfo’s son: Don Vicente and a few other families. Don Rodolfo Torres taught them to work with clay, and limestone. Lupita, her daughter, makes pieces which are typical of the western parto f the country: Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima and Michoacán. Her workshop is located in Miguel Martínez street, one block from the Central Bus Station in Chapala, next door to that of his brother, Don Luis Torres, who is famous for his speciality in figures made out of hard stones like granite, jade, etc., and of cantera, a very well known Mexican limestone. Don Gilberto Torres, another member of the Torres dinasty is a medicine doctor, but prefers to do Mayan figures of all sizes. His workshop is in Las Redes, going out of Chapala.
In the historical Archives of Chapala’s municipality there is an exhibition of pieces made by them and by Aurelio Flores, which you may buy. In the past they have won many prices for the quality of their work. Flavio Padilla Reyes, 36 years old, has his workshop at home: Privada Guerrero Oriente, 21 ein Chapala. His ancestors were professional photographers who have immortalized various generations of Chapaleans. At the beginning he used to go to Doña Eva Montaño’s workshop to take pictures of her pieces. It was Samuel Olvera Vargas who invited him at the end of the ’80s to work in this unique trade. You can admire his pieces in Hacienda Vieja a new concept of development in Riberas del Pilar, exquisitely decorated with pieces of precolumbian art. Roberto Tirado who has his workshop on the outskirts of the town has specialized in precolumbian and “chinesco” figures (The latter ones have an oriental esthetic influence). Eva Montaño tells us there is such a great demand for some of the pieces, that they are currently done using a mould. That is the case of the rooster, the little fat ones, and the Colima dogs. Whereas the bigger ones or the miniatures are still done by hand. “In all cultures, Flavio Padilla Reyes tells us, they produced figures representing the activities of daily life like musicians, warriors, etc.
In order to give the figures an antique “patina” Doña Nacha taught him to use “café oro”. Unfortunately they are not represented by an association. You have to go looking for them through the town. This is what Eva Montaño has tos ay. All her life dedicated to the art of replicas of antique clay pieces. For further information and to place orders you may call the cell phone: 331 1180138.