Vintage bateas are available in a range of sizes and display an array of hand-painted floral motifs.

The Mexican state of Michoacán, on the country’s Pacific coast, is noted for producing bateas—a folk-art ware that reflects historic influences from both indigenous peoples and Spanish colonists.

“The decorated shallow wood basins, known by the Spanish word batea, have an ancient and fascinating history,” explains Paula B. Kornegay, an art historian who specializes in Spanish Colonial art. “Sixteenth-century Spanish chronicles describe the beautiful painted and lacquered gourd vessels indigenous artists made in all shapes and sizes. In the early Colonial period, the modern-day state of Michoacán became New Spain’s (Colonial Mexico’s) most important production center for lacquered wooden furniture and wood objects.”

Dr. Barbara Mauldin, curator of the Latin American Collection at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, says the Spanish established workshops in western Mexico where indigenous craftsmen were taught to make wood and gourd items that were primarily sold to European colonists. The traditional techniques they employed included coating the pieces in a mixture of waxy insect secretion and oil extracted from seeds. A layer of powdered earthen lime was then applied and polished to a rich shine. In Michoacán, artists decorated the pieces by cutting out floral designs from the lacquered surface and inlaying the areas with paint.

This rare shell-shaped basin likely was made in the 1960s. The detailed brushwork on the rim adds to its value.

“Intended primarily for display, bateas made in Michoacán became one of New Spain’s most renowned luxury objects. Their size—up to 48 inches in diameter—provided a large decorative surface, not unlike a canvas for painting,” notes Kornegay. She adds that bateas often were commissioned by visiting dignitaries and the wealthy, or given as gifts to diplomats. “Not only were they beautifully made objects, their existence represented an incredible convergence of two distinct cultures,” she says. “They were an object that was a source of pride for indigenous and European residents of New Spain.”

According to Mauldin, “By the early 20th century, most of the workshops in Quiroga, Michoacán, had stopped the time-consuming lacquer and inlay process. Artists simply coated the surfaces with a black pigment and then painted colorful floral motifs over that,” she says. “They mainly produced inexpensive bateas, which became very popular with the Mexican people as well as American tourists who had started traveling there.”

Today, Spanish Colonial bateas can be found in museums, while those crafted in the first half of the 20th century are considered collectible, notes Kornegay. “Bateas are a product unique to Mexico. They represent an indigenous craft tradition that survived and flourished for centuries,” she comments. “They are festive, and their imagined use as a serving platter for food alludes to a home’s hospitable and nurturing setting.”


WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Styles. Both Paula B. Kornegay and Barbara Mauldin explain that a handful of modern-day Mexican artists produce bateas using traditional techniques. These pieces are very rare. Hand-painted bateas, such as those made between the 1930s and 1960s, are more common and highly collectible. Bateas also were created in the Mexican states of Guerrero and Chiapas, but the production methods and designs from these regions vary from those utilized in Michoacán, states Kornegay.

Detail. “A good-quality older batea will have a smooth, polished surface—there may be just a small hint of the tool used to shape the form. The painting will be crisp with clean, bright colors, and with small details and flourishes added,” Kornegay explains.

Artistic touches. Look for subtle intricacies, advises Mauldin. “You should see the artist’s ‘hand’ in the painting and more detail in the floral motifs,” she says of quality bateas made between the 1930s and 1960s. “Also look for simple designs painted around the rims of the bateas, which add to the overall aesthetic of a piece.”

WHAT TO AVOID
Knockoffs. “Recently, there has been an abundance of poor-quality reproductions of Mexican bateas littering antique malls,” observes Kornegay. “They are a poor representation of their predecessors. Their wooden form is poorly prepared, with large, deep carve marks on both the front and reverse sides.”

Inferior craftsmanship. Mauldin says that modern-day bateas may be crafted quickly and therefore lack artistic attention to detail. These basins may include a simple floral design that is void of visual depth and intricate paint strokes.

WHERE TO FIND THEM
Phoenix area. A few shops in the Phoenix area carry bateas, many of which are modern-day interpretations. These include Meza’s in Art, and Tlaquepaque. Purple Lizard Boutique sells both old and new bateas.

Online. Look for bateas at historia-antiques.com, lacalaca.com, rubylane.com, and vintagemexican.com.

This trio of bateas demonstrates a modern-day interpretation of the historic folk-art ware. Phoenix artist Leticia Alonso imports unfinished oval basins from Mexico and paints them with updated floral motifs.