Colours and designs at the market

El colorido es lo que atrae a la gente

El colorido es lo que atrae a la gente

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At the Benito Juárez market in Oaxaca you can buy everything from Chapulines and Mezcal to hats, shoes and crafts.

Hear Rosa from Teotitlán del Valle tell about the traditional designs and colours made from vegetable dye and hear about how she spends her time when there are no customers.

Vocabulario al capítulo

  • Sustantivos
    adolescencia f
    artesanía f
    bordado m
    color m
    dibujo m
    escalón m
    etapa f
    grana cochinilla (see below)
    granada f
    hierba f
    hoja f
  • niñez f
    nuez f
    rama f
    raíz f
    tapete m
    tono
    árbol m
    Verbos
    aburrirse
    atraer
    bordar
    dedicarse
  • desarrollarse
    desestresarse
    enseñar >< aprender
    faltar
    nacer
    trabajar
    vender >< comprar
    Adjetivos y otros
    aburrido
    cansado
    igual
    oscuro >< claro

Vegetable dye and the Cochineal bug

Vegetable dye and the Cochineal bug
En Teotitlán del Valle son especialistas en tintes naturales
Vegetable dye and the Cochineal bug
Hilo y rueca
Vegetable dye and the Cochineal bug
Nuez, Cáscara de Granada, Pericón y otras plantas que se usan para tintes naturales

Grana cochinilla – the Cochineal bug

From the Cochineal bug you obtain a beautiful red color that is highly popular. The bugs 'grow' on the Nopal Cactus and are harvested through an elaborate process and was called "Oaxaca's Red Gold". It was an important source of income for New World and was exported worldwide to countries in both Europe and Asia.

Grana cochinilla  – the Cochineal bug
Nopal con cochinilla
Grana cochinilla  – the Cochineal bug
Grana cochinilla
Grana cochinilla  – the Cochineal bug
El rojo que sale de la grana cochinilla

Más sobre...

Como hacer grana cochinilla
Como hacer grana cochinilla

Vegetable dye and traditional designs:

Teotitlán del Valle is known for their beautiful natural colours and designs. See also the video on the next page: Cada familia tiene su estilo.

You use the plants that grow in the region to dye, so in Chiapas for instance, they use other vegetable dyes to obtain the colour. See also the chapters on Carlos Reyes and his project:

Me enamoré de Chiapas ;

Hasta en la calle he teñido and

Las Tejedoras felices de Pantelhó.

Or hear the young weaver Petrona Patishtón tell about her work and knowledge of vegetable dyes in Petrona de San Juan Chamula.

Benito Juárez (1806-1872)

El Mercado Benito Juárez is named after Benito Pablo Juárez who came from a Zapotec family. He was the president of Mexico (1855-64 and 1867- 72) and by many Mexicans he is considered to be one of Mexico's most popular leaders.

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