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Tonala
and Tlaquepaque
Land Where Earth
Becomes Art
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Hands
that create mold and amass, creating from the earth. These
are the hands or craftsman and artists. They fashion works
from soil and water in order to offer the world their clay
designs.
It
is in Tlaquepaque and Tonala where art is expressed through
the soul. Here, silhouettes from the earth, revealing cowboys
and women, vases and plates, flowers and other figurines.
Great beauty and a variety of shapes and colors are
all formed out of clay from the region.
Tonala:
Located in eastern center of the state of Jalisco, Tonala
is found so close to |
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Guadalajara
City that it actually forms part of the metropolitan zone.
Its name comes from the Nahuatl word “Tonallan”
and means “Place where the sun rises”. It was
one of the four sees of the “Tapatia Pearl”
before occupying a definitive place.
This
Jalisco Municipality is today one of the greatest sites
of Mexican handicrafts.
Its history has been made by the hands of the artisans who
work the pottery and ceramics with techniques of high temperature,
the “barro bruñido” (clay polished )
to dark reddish and kaolin tones.
In Tonala other handicraft forms are realized such as saddlery,
weaving , carved figures of wood and bone, creation of fanciful
pieces of blown glass, ornamentation based on paper mache
and the making of fireworks whose elaboration fades away
after creating multicolored fantasies in the Mexican skies.
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Tonala’s
Traditional Tiangüis ( Street Market )
All these handicrafts and many more can be found on
Thursdays and Sundays in the traditional Tonala market
that takes place on the main avenue which is transformed
into a picturesque harvest that has been converted
into one of the most important attractions of this
handicraft village.
For
those who wish to buy handicrafts in bulk you can
visit the established business or the many family
artisan workshops that are part of the Tonala cultural
patrimony, that reaches across a good part of the
world.
Tlaquepaque:
Considered to be part of the city of Guadalajara,
this town is recognized as the most important cultural
artisan center in Mexico, not only for the quantity
of arts and craft produced here, but also for the
high quality and diversity of the work. The fresh
country air is the perfect location for the talented
craftsmen and prestigious Internationally recognized
artists to exhibit their work in stores and galleries
that extend over cobblestone streets and are surrounded
by historic houses and museums. |
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Tlaquepaque’s
long history provides visitors with a chance to explore
the splendid
architecture of the past. The quiet streets of this colonial
city contain many nooks and corners where visitors can discover
a variety of mouth-watering flavors. The most demanding
gourmet will find a wide range of choices from exquisite
cuisine to the fine Mexican dining. In this sense and more,
Tlaquepaque is the Soul of Mexico!
The
tour departs Ajijic at 8 a.m.
A bilingual tour guide escorts you.
First
you go to the town of Tonala, where thousands of arts &
crafts workshops and factories are located.
There
you visit some of the most important workshops to view firsthand
the making of: |
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·
Blown
Glass
· Papier Mache
· Ceramics |
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You
also have the opportunity to visit the largest arts &
crafts tiangüis (street market) in the state of Jalisco.
Afterwards,
you tour guide takes you to Tlaquepaque, recognized to be
one of the most important cultural artisan center in México.
There, you
have time to walk on the pedestrian streets to enjoy the
beauty of the 19th century homes, which have been turned
into beautiful art & crafts shops, art galleries, visit
the ceramic museum and enjoy a delicious lunch in one of
the excellent and traditional restaurants.
After this
wonderful day you return to Ajijic, arriving about 5 p.m.
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