Navajas is a tiny pueblito located 30 kilometers southwest of Guadalajara along the Circuito Metropolitano Sur highway linking Chapala-Guadalajara highway to Tala.
I first wandered into Navajas about ten years ago. I had been told I would find a little workshop there where local craftsmen (and women) had revived an ancient Mexican tradition: that of creating works of art from obsidian, the natural volcanic glass which is found in such abundance here that Jalisco’s deposits rank fourth largest in the entire world.
As I stepped through the narrow doorway, I guess I expected to see Mexican Michelangelos quietly chipping away at black rock with hammer and chisel. Instead, I was greeted by tumultuous roaring, screeching, buzzing and flapping, with great clouds of white powder filling the air. Out of the cloud stepped a thin man covered with dust, wearing a warm and peaceful smile.
This was “Don” Eleno Espinoza, who, with his brother, started this backyard operation some 20 years ago. All the noise and dust came from numerous belt-driven grinding and polishing wheels, with which these craftsmen transform rough chunks of obsidian into creations of all kinds.
You may think of obsidian as black glass, but one glance at the raw materials lying on the workshop floor will convince you that Jalisco’s obsidian comes in every color you can think of. “Just outside Navajas,” Espinoza told me, “we have huge deposits of a red and black combination known as Indian’s blood, and in a pre-Hispanic mine near here the obsidian is dark green and flawless. In addition, we have grey, blue, chocolate and rainbow.”The artisans of Navajas started out making simple shapes like butterflies and hearts, but, over the years, learned to create far more sophisticated sculptures, some of them designed by Mexico’s leading artists.
On a recent visit to the rustic taller, I spotted a sleek puma on the prowl, perfect in every way. I also discovered a beautifully tooled set of obsidian massage tools, commissioned by the owners of a spa. “They are used for giving ‘hot rock’ massages,” said Espinoza proudly, “and they liked this set so much, they asked for three more.”
As I wandered about the workshop, another artisan, “Don” Manuel Suarez, asked me if I’d like some wine, gesturing toward a black bottle on a table. I was entirely taken in until I picked up the “bottle” which, of course, was yet another ingenious sculpture.
Although I will give the directions to the workshop below, you will find the artisans in Guadalajara this weekend, June 27-29, displaying their crafts (10 a.m. to 9 p.m.) in La Plaza de la Liberación, between the cathedral and the Degollado Theater, along with other talented artists from the municipio of Tala.
Note that Espinoza’s crew is happy to create whatever you might have in mind. You can give them a model, a photo or just an idea and they will produce it in obsidian for a very reasonable price. The workshop telephone number is 01-384-738-6142. Don’t miss these artisans downtown this weekend!
Getting to the workshop
From Guadalajara, go south on Highway 54 (towards Colima) to the Circuito Metropolitano Sur road (3.6 kilometers south of Outlet). This point can also easily be reached from Chapala. Now go west 21 kilometers to the entrance to Navajas. Follow the cobblestones south for one kilometer until you come to a big Y. Take the left fork, which puts you on Benito Juárez Street. Continue southeast 260 meters and turn right, just before the school. You’ll find the workshop door just ahead on the left side of the street (at N20 32.007 W103 40.676). If in doubt, just ask for “El Taller de Obsidiana.” Driving time from the Guadalajara Periférico: about 40 minutes.