Clay \u2013 and the historical craft of the Cocucho community, give life to the famous jars of popular art known as \u201cCocuchas\u201d native to the Pur\u00e9pecha Plateau, Michoac\u00e1n. Initially they were used to store seeds or water, but over time they began to be considered a precious decorative item.<\/p>\n
Its process is very complex and consists of several instances. They are made with clay (mud) which is mixed with volcanic sand, giving it shape by hand, a process that takes two days or more and requires the participation of up to five people depending on the size (they can measure more than two meters); Once finished, it is smoothed with an olote (corn cob) and left to dry for a week or more. Subsequently, a bed of stones and ocote firewood is formed where the piece is placed and covered with boughs, charcoal and allowed to burn in the open air for hours at 800 celsius degrees , while still hot, a mixture of wheat flour with water is applied and finally they are polished with a smooth river stone.<\/p>\n
It is fascinating to note that these pieces are not made with any other instrument but hands and the ancestral technique transmitted generationally from artisan to artisan.<\/p>\n