In the late sixties, early seventies a Mata Ortiz potter Juan Quezada created a revolution of Mata Ortiz pottery by bringing ancient southwestern Indian pottery traditions back into the modern age. Now, Mata Ortiz pottery of the Casas Grandes region is some of the most sought after pottery in the world. We have a wide variety of top of the line Mata Ortiz pots. We carry Black on Black Mata Ortiz pottery, Mata Ortiz effigy pottery, Mata Ortiz wedding vase pottery, Mata Ortiz dazzler pottery, Mata Ortiz Mariposa pottery, and more.
The clay gathered for Mata Ortiz pots comes from a hole dug by Juan Quezada. He discovered the clay while searching the ground for minerals and clay when he paused for a moment and watched some ants bring round balls of white substance out of the hole. Juan grew curious and dug a hole next the the ant hole, about a foot below was a white vein of clay. This clay provides most of Mata Ortiz, Mexico with their clay.
The paints for Mata Ortiz pottery comes from grinding minerals to a fine powder. Juan Quezada keeps experimenting with new minerals trying to find a richer blacks and more vibrant reds. Each pot is hand painted with a human hair brush. These brushes are supplied to about 15 artists by Juan's granddaughter Judy. These brushes are designed to paint very fine lines and intricate designs.
The last step in Mata Ortiz pottery is firing. Mata Ortiz pottery is usually fired at 1000-1500°F, where the clay begins to melt and turn glasslike. Firing is an art form, Mata Ortiz potters watch the smoke and flame color to adjust the heat while firing. Two different styles of firing is used for Mata Ortiz pots. One is Oxidation firing and the other is Reduction firing.
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