Obdulia Almazán Vázquez

Obdulia Almazán Vázquez is originally from the community of Temalacatzingo, Olinalá, in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The pre-Hispanic ancestral technique of maque was inherited from their grandparents and relatives and has been passed down from generation to generation. From the age of five her parents integrated her into the craft activity of bules or gourds. Children like her cleaned the pieces to remove the pulp inside and sanded them, then learned to burnish or prepare the surface with a polished quartz stone. As she grew older, she was shown how to make the maque, with the supervision of her mother. Later, her father taught her to make the frets and the drawings. It has been 25 years since her family cooperative group of five women was formed, where she has played an important role in marketing the pieces and disseminating the technique.