The Sunday open-air stalls at Lagunilla in Mexico City, the expansive roadside shops just north of San Miguel de Allende, the shops and weekend market at Los Sapos in Puebla, and the good old-fashioned picking in the state of Oaxaca. Each provides a fruitful avenue for acquiring antiques and collectibles in central and southern Mexico. Of course there are many more, but in the last two decades this transplanted Canadian has had success hitting the pavement (often in the case of Oaxaca barely passable dirt roads and paths) in these four places.
The selection of antiques and collectibles available in central and southern Mexico
While the selection and number of antiques available in central and southern Mexico is impressive, those looking for depression and other glass collectibles may be surprised. There is very little glass from US, Canadian and European factories available in Mexico, relative to what is found in Canada and the United States. And when you come across quality antique glass, in most cases it is expensive. However, hand-blown glass (blown glass) has been made in Mexico since the 16th century, albeit to a different quality than the glass found at home. Mexican glass is relatively common and priced to sell, generally in excellent condition in terms of original hand-painted designs and no chips or cracks.
One comes across a fair amount of military memorabilia including weapons, old books and coins, tiles and other ceramic pieces, product and movie advertising posters, as well as other small ones. Naturally, religious artifacts are prevalent, including altarpieces, votive offerings, cherubs, and crosses.
Iron has also been forged in Mexico since the 16th century, generally standing the test of time well. In fact, blacksmiths in modern Mexico, at least in the southern half of the country, are arguably the best of all the construction trades in terms of labor. Locks and keys, bars, gates, frames, as well as tools and weapons and a plethora of other iron products, are easily found in Lagunilla, Los Sapos, San Miguel de Allende and even in the few antique shops in Oaxaca.
Collectible stone pieces are available in virtually every store and market, particularly grinding stones (known as metates con mano – the hand piece) used to pound corn, and mortar and pestle sets (known as molcajetes). ) to beneficially pulverize spices, herbs, and chili peppers One sometimes stumbles upon hand-hewn limestone cornices on convents and government buildings.
Both rectangular and vaulted wooden chests are widespread. The painted or stripped trunk (pine blanket box for Americans and Canadians) is often found with its original four-legged base. The doors leading to the administrative buildings and ex-haciendas are enormous in terms of height, width and thickness, and are often found with the original ironwork intact. Tables, wagon wheels, and implements round out the other main wooden collectibles that can be found in this part of Mexico.
Select places to find antiques and collectibles in central and southern Mexico
Mexico City’s open-air Sunday antiques and collectibles market known as Lagunilla stretches for several blocks and can be accessed by walking from any of the hotels near the zócalo (central plaza) and, of course, by taxi. There are also a few antique shops in the area, although vendors with stalls are Lagunilla’s main attraction.
Many travel books warn about safety and security in Lagunilla, and some merchants advise against being in the area as nightfall approaches. Ancient hunters should be fine though, as long as the normal precautions are taken: don’t venture into what appears to be a “seedy” area; do not display large bundles of cash; keep cameras and bags in front and close to the body; and yes, it would be unwise to wander around the area when night approaches.
The picturesque neighborhoods known as Los Sapos, in the center of Puebla, about four blocks from its main square, are also a paradise for collectors and dealers. The weekend market is admittedly small, especially for those accustomed to the Christie Classic Antique Show in Dundas, Ontario, the expansive sales in Brimfield, Massachusetts, and similar large outdoor antique and collectible markets in Canada and the US. But one can find gems at Los Sapos, both at the Saturday and Sunday stalls (not all vendors attend on the same days) and, to a lesser extent, in shops within three or more blocks of the market al fresh air. Lamps and chandeliers stand out, especially in stores, at prices that are hard to resist.
Highway 51 out of San Miguel de Allende en route to Dolores Hidalgo is a fruitful route for finding antiques, especially larger pieces. Prices are surprisingly reasonable, given that many of the expats living in San Miguel de Allende have significant means. Curiously, prices tend to be exorbitant in San Miguel proper, but accessible just a few miles away at the various shops and sprawling open-air antique yards that dot both sides of the road. Get out of town, either with a rental car or by hiring a driver, and stop at each outlet.
While Oaxaca has an extremely large antique store (on Calle Abasolo) with a particularly impressive selection of jewelry (and just about everything else), for its size, Oaxaca is a wasteland for collectors and dealers, and prices are high in relation to what one finds elsewhere. in central and southern Mexico. You have to go to rural areas.
Oaxaca is noted for its artisan towns, market towns, and colonial churches in the countryside. But these towns and villages have been very well chosen since the travel boom that began in the 1960s. Consequently, it is imperative to venture beyond the usual tourist stops. Virtually all of the antiques and collectibles listed above can be found in the interior of Oaxaca, plus a few occasional early craft items (ie fancy wood alebrijes, pottery, textiles).
The central valleys of Oaxaca are supposedly where the chango mezcalero originated. The chango mezcalero is a pottery container painted in the shape of a monkey, used to contain and serve mezcal, the alcoholic beverage derived from the agave plant. The same $20 whimsically painted ceramic bottle that was produced beginning in the 1930s sells for $500 or more on a couple of Mexican antique websites. But like everything else, it’s getting harder and harder to get them.
Notes of caution for antique enthusiasts traveling through central and southern Mexico
The mention of pre-Hispanic artifacts is conspicuous by its absence in the above. There are two reasons:
• The law prohibits the purchase and sale of archaeological pieces, and of course their export. Periodically you hear of Mexicans ending up in jail or subject to heavy fines as a result of trading in pre-Hispanic artifacts.
• Reproductions represented as originals are big business, even at pre-Hispanic ruin sites, another reason to stay clear of archaeological artifacts. If it’s rendered as a reproduction, go ahead. Ask how the vendors in Lagunilla can flog pieces they represent as legitimate pre-Hispanic artifacts, out in the open, if they are indeed original. Peasants sometimes approach foreigners saying they just found bits while plowing. While it certainly does happen, and artifacts continue to be unearthed all the time, these farmers also have access to reproductions.
Other vintage and antique collectibles that are being reproduced and sometimes represented as vintage include advertising signs, metal canteen trays, votive offerings, papier-mâché “whore” dolls, ceremonial masks, and ironwork. Of course, well-made reproductions are often quite attractive and suitable as home decor, but unless you’re sure, don’t pay prices that correspond to the value of true vintage collectibles.
In some cases, well-worn contemporary implements may look ancient, but they are not; nor is there an attempt to misrepresent. Take for example metates. Some are pre-Hispanic, while others could be 30-50 years old, as some Mexican women today still grind corn on a large flat river rock. After decades of use, it looks no different than a metate that was worked 1,500 years ago.
Another class of collectibles that may or may not be antique, but without intending to misrepresent them, are galvanized metal containers in a variety of shapes and sizes, for making tamales (tamaleras) and for carrying milk, water, and other liquids.
The wood is sometimes difficult to bring into the US and Canada. The laws in Australia are even stricter. Pine, copal, and other softwoods are susceptible to insect infestation, such as termites. The problem is known as dick. Telltale signs are small holes in the wood, or if it’s been sitting in one place for a while, a white powder can be found next to the piece. If you’re in a store, look around the base before picking up any wood.
When shopping for contemporary collectible alebrijes and other wood products, ask what precautions have been taken to prevent cock infestation. In San Martín Tilcajete, Oaxaca, the high-end workshop of Jacobo Ángeles and María Mendoza uses both soaking in a mixture of gasoline and insecticide and leaving it in a special oven for several hours, so that the workshop can guarantee its work.
Lastly, resist the urge to wake up before dawn to get to the markets before anyone else. In most cases, the antiques and collectibles dealers with stalls at open-air markets don’t arrive and set up shop at dawn, like they do at markets like Christie’s or Brimfield. If you arrive at 8am (pretty much before all the other pickers and pickers), you’ll be there while the vendors set up, and if you arrive at 10am, there will still be stalls set up. Having provided this advice, guess who wakes up at 7am and hits the markets as soon as possible, invariably succumbing first to chilling at a sidewalk stall for an early breakfast of hot chocolate and tamales, yes, before heading to the market. market?
Alvin Starkman MA, LLB.