Oaxaca-The Year After: Where are these from?

The here and now... and what and why

Complacency is a trap. At least that’s what I was thinking when I up and left the comfort of a Yankee prep school gig, where I taught music, amongst other things, for 28 years. There was also that life long career as a composer, musician and artist.

First, it was a year in St. Thomas, USVI, working as a reporter and shooting photography and then, a year in San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time passed.
More time passed and a year back in the Athens of America followed by a hasty return to Oaxaca where it is all happening.
A couple of years in San Sebastian Etla and now, just down the road in San Pablo Etla. Life is good.

Click on an image to see it larger.
For additional photography please visit my flickr page.
You can find my music on Jango (World & latin - Worldbeat) and at iTunes and most online stores.
¡Soy consciente de todas las tradiciones del Internet!
If you are coming to Oaxaca, please contact me for tours or advice.

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Where are these from?

I got these beautiful pieces years ago from Henry Wangeman of Amate Books. They always had the very best stuff and I have two houses filled with wonderful things I got from Henry and Rosa.

Of course, I never wrote down where thing were from, so does anyone recognize these pieces?

The designs do not look Oaxacan, but there are so many different styles, they well may be. And these deep chocolate colored glazed are big and heavy.

They may look simple, but they are masterpieces to me and Henry said they were special. Any ideas? One of my favorite early moments in Oaxaca came on my first visit. I bought a nice black pottery piece from San Bartolo Coyotepec and while standing in line at customs with friends, I blurted out, "Wow, I hope my pot made it through." Needless to say, everyone around me gasped and then smacked me... in the nicest ways. "Chris, you are an idiot." Just to be clear, the pottery arrived undamaged.