The History of a Mexican Pottery-Making Town and Women's Presence: Izúcar de Matamoros

In this presentation I will recount a short history of the birth and development of the extraordinary polichrome figures in Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla state, Mexico. The accent is placed on women’s presence, in order to examine their living conditions, as well as to present the process of elaborating the clay pieces characteristic of this place. Little attention has been paid to this Mexican folk art from Izúcar, but that which it has received emphasized men’s work, particularly that of the deceased Don Alfonso Castillo, who was awarded the 2006 national prize for Folk Arts and Traditions. Nonetheless, this presentation will focus almost entirely on the female artesans. Based on both primary and secondary sources, as well as interviews, it also carries out an iconographical analysis in which are shown some of the gender differences in the creative process.