Malinowski and Metates in Four Oaxaca Communities, 1965–1974

Abstract

My romance with metates began with my reading of Malinowki’s Oaxaca market system study, first published in 1957, where in two paragraphs he identified the “grinding-stone or metate” as “the principal pre-Columbian article which appears in the modern market” and noted a “seasonal variation in sales connected with the custom that at every marriage a metate painted and decorated in gaudy colors has to be presented ritually to the bride.” He also described how “When buying a metate on behalf of the donor, the woman – for grinding is women’s work – would examine the surface, assess the size, and carefully look for any defects…”, and that “A handful of maize is usually supplied by the vendor, so as to make a trial assessment possible. ” Finally he observed regarding bridal metates, that the “godfather of the bride, who is the usual donor, will dance ritually at a certain stage of the marriage ceremony with the metate held on his back” – a ritual actually observed by Malinowski himself at a marriage ceremony in the village of Abasolo (Malinowski and de la Fuente 1982:169–170). Information was also given about metate price determination through haggling, and how the size and decorative quality of metates influenced their pricing.