On its Instagram account, Meca Shop boasts "rare and eye-delighting objects from the depths of Mexico. And yes, the story behind this store has to do with the passion of Pamela Olvera, its creator, who whenever someone visited her home, was always amazed by her collection. Her home was filled with figurines, sculptures, plates, photographs and images that portrayed Mexican history and traditions.
Pamela began her collection of objects and folk art with her first paychecks; however, from a young age she developed a knack for finding treasures in bazaars, markets and tianguis in northern Mexico City and the cities she visited on family vacations. After many professional lives - film producer, technology entrepreneur, etc. - Pamela thought of Meca as a way to bring unique pieces and objects to the homes of friends and strangers alike.
What makes Meca special is the curation born of adventure: Pamela visits communities and craft workshops in Oaxaca, Michoacán, Chiapas, Puebla, Guadalajara and Estado de México in search of beautiful artifacts. The result is, in Pamela's words, "a mix of curious and peculiar objects, handicrafts and pre-Hispanic replicas, deeply Mexican and aesthetically pleasing objects".
You can currently find Meca's objects at Lazo, in La Condesa, so we decided to visit the store and, with Pamela's help, we prepared a selection of five representative pieces.
Gossiping devils : Ocumicho, Michoacán
The devils are a traditional figure of this community. It is said that the potter Marcelino Vicente was the first to make them after the devil appeared to him. Most of the artisans in this community are women, who make all the pieces by hand.
Burnished clay jug and cups : Los Reyes Metzontla, Puebla, Mexico
In 2005 this community was awarded the National Prize of Sciences and Arts thanks to its production of burnished clay, for which they use materials specific to the region. What makes this set special is the detail of the wavy handles.
Piecitos de barro : Oaxaca
These little feet were our favorite. They are too cute to ignore them. They are inspired by the vasos ceremoniales zapotecos del Periodo Clásico.
Postage stamps : Correos de México
Pamela found these postage stamps by chance and decided to bring them to Mecca because she found them to be a very original object. It is a limited edition that went from having a specific function to being an object that we simply find beautiful.
Mud Cobra : Zipiajo, Michoacán
In addition to its beauty, we found this piece interesting because of the ancient pottery technique used in this Michoacán town. The burning of the vessels in Zipiajo is done in the open air in a bonfire that uses cow dung and dried corn as fuel. This technique is of Mesoamerican origin and has survived to the present day.
If you want to know more, check out the IG of Meca Shop or visit Lazoat Amsterdam 101, in the Condesa.