Traditional Mata Ortiz Hand Coiled Indian Pottery by Casas Grandes artist Rafael Silveira.

Imaginative and creative. Amazing fine line details, an artistic wonder. This hand coiled, hand painted and hand etched Casas Grandes pot is a unique and traditional design. This hand painted traditional southwestern design incorporates a lizard and seems to jump off of the polished pottery walls. This pot is 6-3/4" tall, 10-1/2" wide, and has a 4-1/4" opening. Signed Rafael Silveira. Mata Ortiz potters make no measurements or sketches but paint the designs free-hand.

The inspiration for Casas Grandes pottery is taken from the historical Casas Grandes tradition. The renaissance of this beautiful pottery began in the early 1960's, following the Amerind Foundation's excavation of the nearby Paquime ruins in 1958. Until that time, there was little interest in the antiquities of the area, but after the excavation, a new awareness developed. Technically and aesthetically, Casas Grandes pottery equals or surpasses the work of the Indian potters of the American Southwest. It is made with clay from the mountains high above the village of Mata Ortiz, painted with human hair brushes and natural pigments (minerals and roots of plants). It is hand-formed, without the use of a potter's wheel, and is dung fired. Building the pot starts as coils spiral upward, one above the other. The potter squeezes them between her thumbs and fingers. This thins the coils to the thickness of the finished pot. The cracks between the coils are smoothed out as she turns the pot. As the walls rise, the potter smooths them and slopes them inward and outward.

We understand the true value and nature of hand crafted Indian art. And, we recognize it's important to know that the artist is truly a member of a Native American tribe. So, to ensure you that this is the real deal, a Certificate of Authenticity has been included with this item.

CERTIFIED AUTHENTIC