Batea of Volcano Paricutin c 1950-65

About bateas:

Using the traditional technique of Quiroga, Michoacán, these bateas have been made in this village for over 450 years. The wooden platters were used for offerings, marriages, dance dramas, processions, parades, and for decoration. These bateas were hollowed out by way of meticulous carvings with small woodworking tools and lacquered with a mixture of vegetable oil, powdered pigments and melted tar. Floral and foliate designs typically ornate these antique bateas. This piece was carved during the mid-twentieth century, 1950’s-1960’s.

The lacquerware tradition in Mexico predates the arrival of the Spanish and is believed to date back more than 2000 years. The production of these lacquered trays continued in central and southern Mexico in the Colonial era as did the production of very decorative pieces for European markets. This insured the survival of the indigenous techniques and designs in the remaining lacquerware centers of Patzcuaro and Quiroga, Michoacán, Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas and Olinala, Guerrero.