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This Mexican decorative platter, or batea, by Antonio Anita is made of carved solid wood and is a beautiful example of the indigenous painted lacquerware technique. Using this 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. They were hollowed out with small woodworking tools adding texture to the background and lacquered with a mixture of vegetable oil, powdered pigments and melted tar. Floral and foliate designs typically decorate them overall. This batea is a rare contemporary piece by Antonio Anita, one of the few artisans left in this village that continues to use the tradiitonal techniques of his family even though he no longer uses the powdered pigments.
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, Uruapan and Quiroga, Michoacán, Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas and Olinala, Guerrero.
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