POTTERY & CERAMICS | Mata Ortiz | Cocuchas | Barro Negro | San Marcos | Capelo | Talavera | Tonala | Santa Rosa | Also: Black Chamba Cookware

Mata Ortiz or Casas Grandes Pottery

Mata Ortiz, a village in the Northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, is renowned for its elegant pottery, yet it was only a generation ago that this long-lost tradition was resurrected.

As a boy, Juan Quezada was fascinated by the shards of pottery he found in the hills near his village, remnants from pre-Columbian times (also similar to those found in the American Southwest). He studied both technique and image, and through practice his pots became marvels that were soon swept up by collectors. Over time he began teaching others in the village, who quickly developed their own styles and techniques.

Nuestra Tierra selects pottery from the most skilled artisans of the Mata Ortiz. Pots are selected for their simple, symmetrical forms; delicate painting and originality. We also offer several books and videos on the artisans, process and history of Mata Ortiz pottery.

Cocuchas

Cocuchas are large earthen pots created in the remote Purepecha Indian village of Cocucho in the Mexican state of Michoacan.

Native artists from Cocucho (typically women) use a primitive North African technique taught to their ancestors by the Catholic Church 300 years ago.

This distinctive pottery is hand formed in coils, charcoal pit fired and hand rubbed to create the primitive and elegant surfaces that distinguish them. The size, shape and surface of each piece are free formed by the artist, using nothing but her hands and vision.

Click here for pricing, history and technique.

Barro Negro (Black Clay)

Barro Negro has been part of Oaxacan civilization for over 4,000 years, the techniques passed down from generation to generation. Today, the same process is still in use. Potters use a low fire, and throw and polish the pots by hand.

The term "Black Clay" might be misleading, since in fact the color of the native clay used is red. It gets its polished black surface not by glaze or paint but from the firing and polishing technique. Skilled potters using a special firing technique, called “reduction,” add fuel to the fire and then seal the kiln. Starving the fire of oxygen produces a thick smoke that chemically combines with the clay to form the black color. Prior to firing, the item is polished with a smooth stone such as quartz. Many pots have a design that is painstakingly cut out by hand.

San Marcos Pottery

This classic reddish pottery comes from a small Zapotec village in central Oaxaca where it is crafted by hand by the women in the town.

It is a labor-intensive process that starts with removing the clay from the nearby hills.

The clay is processed by hand and formed into many utilitarian shapes as it has been done for generations.

The pottery is finished by wiping a red-orange slip on the surface with a corncob before firing in an open fire. No glazes are used — each piece is burnished by hand to give it a smooth, shiny appearance.

Capelo

Ceramic pieces by Mexican artist Capelo are in a class of their own. His original designs show a flair for composition and color.

The pieces are crafted and painted by hand using traditional majolica techniques (that go back centuries to Europe and the Middle East). It is due to this tradition and the years that Capelo studied in Portugal, Spain and Italy that these pieces have a European feel.

Nuestra Tierra offers a wide selection of urns, plates and vases by this award-winning artist. The excellent craftsmanship, delicate painting and subtle and harmonious use of color of these pieces are hard to resist.

Talavera

Puebla's Talavera descended from Arabic-Andalusian tradition and began in Spain in the ninth century, when the influence of the Arabic culture was passed on to Spanish potters. In the 1500’s a number of Spanish potters from the city of Talavera de la Reina arrived in Puebla, Mexico. The blending of societies allowed the indigenous people to learn new techniques, and the combination of styles gave new life to Mexican earthenware.

Today individual families of master craftsmen, still performing the age-old rituals and techniques that have been passed down through the centuries, perpetuate the craft. There are only a few workshops that offer authentic Talavera pottery made according to the craftsmanship legacy. Nuestra Tierra offers only Talavera that is signed at the base by the workshop and contains the DO4 certification number, indicating authenticity.

Tonala Pottery

Before the Spaniards arrived, pots were made in the town of Tonala in Jalisco, Mexico. In Colonial times, the potters were known for their brunido style, which some potters still use today. After the influence of Jorge Wilmot in the 1950s and 60s, stoneware and other types of ceramics emerged.

Characteristic of the Tonala artists is the detailed and elegant painting that adorns their work. Nuestra Tierra offers pottery from a wide range of Tonala artists — masters of both traditional and contemporary styles.

Santa Rosa Ceramics

Santa Rosa, Guanajuato is famous for its skilled artists who make this colorful, hand-painted decorative pottery. A wide variety of shapes-vases, urns, plates, bowls and trays-and colors are available.