Lapidary

Description

In Mexico today countless works are carried out in volcanic stone, andesite, onyx, obsidian. It is an ancestral work that made life easier for the first settlers and that continues today, although many pieces have acquired an ornamental character.

Among a wide variety of objects, the metate and the molcajete are especially representative. Both are used to grind and mash either food or vegetable fibers and are still present today in a large part of Mexican cuisines.

Artisans produce them using chisel and hammer, mainly in the State of Mexico, Puebla and Jalisco.

Molcajetes are tripod mortars, generally without decoration and with a diameter that does not exceed 10 cm. They can also be made of clay, as they were in pre-Columbian Mexico. The word comes from the Nahuatl mollicaxtli, (molli-salsa and caxitl-cajete). The stone used for grinding is called mano de molcajete, tejolote, temolote or texolotl or pilón and sauces are mainly made with it.

For their part, metates are rectangles that can measure up to a meter in length; They are slightly concave and with supports that give them an inclination to facilitate grinding, which is done with a cylindrical stone called mano de metate, or metapilli. Its name comes from the Nahuatl metatl, which means tooth. In the Mayan language they call it ka, and in Mixtec yooso. Traditionally, the metate is placed on the floor and there, kneeling women grind the corn or cocoa.

Although since the mid-20th century many women prefer to go to the mills to avoid the work of grinding, in many regions the use of metate is still in force because there is a belief that food made with molcajete and metate tastes better.

Other stones with which crafts are made in Mexico are onyx, which is worked mainly in Puebla and Tlaxcala, and obsidian in the State of Mexico.

englishLapidary

In Mexico today there are countless works in volcanic stone, andesite, onyx and obsidian. It is an ancestral work that facilitated the life of the first settlers and that continues to this day, although many pieces have acquired an ornamental character.

Among a wide variety of objects, the "metate" and the "molcajete" are particularly representative. Both are used to grind and grind either food or vegetable fibers and are still present today in most Mexican kitchens.

Artisans produce them using chisel and hammer, mainly in the State of Mexico, Guanajuato, Puebla and Jalisco.

The "molcajetes" are tripod mortars, generally undecorated and with a diameter of no more than 20 cm. They can also be made of clay, as they were in pre-Columbian Mexico. The word comes from the Nahuatl "mollicaxtli", (molli-salsa and caxitl-cajete). The stone used for grinding is called "mano de molcajete", "tejolote", "temolote" or "texolotl" or "pilón" and is mainly used to make sauces.

The "metates" are rectangles that can be up to one meter long; they are slightly concave and have supports that give them an inclination to facilitate grinding, which is done with a cylindrical stone called "mano de "metate", or "metapilli". 20th century, many women have preferred to go to the mills to avoid the work of grinding, in many regions the use of the "metate" is still in use, as it is believed that the food prepared on them tastes better.

Other stones with which handicrafts are made in Mexico are onyx, marble and the quarry that is worked mainly in Puebla and Tlaxcala, and obsidian in the State of Mexico.