Bessie Smith was a mute.
Mexican lacquerware -LRB- laca or maque in Mexican Spanish -RRB- is one of the country 's oldest crafts , having independent origins from Asian lacquerware .. In the pre Hispanic period , a greasy substance from the aje larvae and / or oil from the chia seed were mixed with powdered minerals to create protective coatings and decorative designs .. pre Hispanic period. Mesoamerican chronology. aje. Coccus ( insect ). chia. salvia. During this period , the process was almost always applied to dried gourds , especially to make the cups that Mesoamerican nobility drank chocolate from .. After the Conquest , the Spanish had indigenous craftsmen apply the technique to European style furniture and other items , changing the decorative motifs and color schemes , but the process and materials remained mostly the same .. Conquest. Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. In the 19th and 20th centuries , the craft waned during armed conflicts and returned , both times with changes to the decorative styles and especially in the 20th century , to production techniques .. Today , workshops creating these works are limited to Olinala , Temalacatzingo and Acapetlahuaya in the state of Guerrero , Uruapan and Patzcuaro in Michoacan and Chiapa de Corzo in Chiapas .. Olinala. Olinala. Guerrero. Guerrero. Uruapan. Uruapan. Patzcuaro. Patzcuaro. Chiapa de Corzo. Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas. Chiapas. Chiapas