Mid 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Black Clay Pottery Oaxaca Vase, Signed Dona Rosa

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Large Oaxaca, Mexico Black Clay Pottery Vase Signed by Dona Rosa
Doña Rosa, full name Rosa Real Mateo de Nieto, … Read more Large Oaxaca, Mexico Black Clay Pottery Vase Signed by Dona Rosa
Doña Rosa, full name Rosa Real Mateo de Nieto, was a Mexican ceramics artisan from San Bartolo Coyotepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. She is noted for inventing a technique to make the local pottery type, barro negro, black and shiny after firing. This created new markets for the ceramics with collectors and tourists.
The origins of barro negro pottery extend over centuries, with examples of it found at a number of Mexican archaeological sites, fashioned mostly into jars and other utilitarian items. It has remained a traditional Craft of the Zapotecs and Mixtecs of the Central Valleys area to the present day. Originally all barro negro pottery was matte and grayish due to the qualities of the clay and the firing process. In this form, the pottery is very sturdy, allowing it to be hit without breaking. The barro negro pottery of Doña Rosa’s hometown of San Bartolo has been traditionally used to make large “cántaros”, tall vessels used for storing and transporting liquids, including mezcal.
In the 1950s, Doña Rosa discovered that she could change the color and shine of the pieces by making some changes to how the clay piece is handled. Just before the formed clay piece is completely dry, it is polished with a quartz stone to compress the surface. It is then fired at a slightly lower temperature than traditional pieces. After firing, the piece emerges a shiny black instead of a dull gray.
Doña Rosa died in 1980, but the tradition of making the barro negro pottery is being carried on by Doña Rosa’s daughter and grandchildren who stage demonstrations for tourists. The workshop is still in the family home, where shelves and shelves of shiny black pieces for sale line the inner courtyard. See less