Jarrito De Tonala

This fully functional mug was hand-fabricated from copper sheet using anticlastic, synclastic, and spiculum forming techniques. The form is inspired by the traditional jarrito de Tonalá, a vessel I grew up seeing at flea markets, stacked in rows, each one uniquely handmade from clay.

In Mexico, there is a saying, “eres delicado como un jarrito de Tonalá,” meaning you are as delicate as a clay jar. It is used to describe someone sensitive. My mother often said this to me, and it has stayed with me.

By recreating this fragile object in copper, I wanted to explore the relationship between sensitivity and strength. Clay can break easily, while metal becomes stronger through shaping and repeated hammering. Each strike hardens the material. In the same way, I see people shaped by their experiences.