Meet the Artisan

Berto Rendon Mancilla
Olinala is a small village located in the mountain region, up to 1,600 meters over the sea, it represents the highest place in the state of Guerrero, place of birth of Don Berto.Its name comes from a Nahuatl word that means "set of the earthquakes" or "near the earthquakes". This is a community that is a denomination of origin of our country.
His presentation card to the world is, of course, la “cajita de Olinala” (the little box of Olinala, typical artisanal piece of the region).
The expertise hands of artisans such Don Berto have imparted the artisan richness from generation to generation, since the prehispanic era.
“In that time there were no boxes, instead they used to work with “guajes” also known as “bules” (Small woody natural containers) that were utilized to keep tortillas warm or to be décor and send to ceremonial centers as gifts.
Ever since then, they have used the same techniques that they learned from their ancestors. Each piece has a long and meticulous process that contemplates 29 steps of carving, painting, and lacquer.
“It consists of three minerals and a binder that in this case is chia oil, the three minerals is a dolomite we know as Toltec, Toltelc, Nahuatl word, is an iron oxide known as tecoxtle and a calcite we know as texicaltecriollo, these three minerals are the fundamental basis of our crafts "said Don Berto.
We work with the aromatic Linaloe wood, from which are made multiple figures and objects, some of them are decorations and others are utilitarian objects such as trays, baskets, fruit baskets, jewelers, screens, and trunks.
Each artisan has evolved their techniques through the years. Don Berto is one of the oldest, most respected artisans with the greatest number of acknowledgments and awards in Olinala and in Mexico.