Late 20th Century Mata Ortiz Hand Coiled Blackware Pot by Miguel Bugarini

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Mata Ortiz is a small village in the northern Mexico Chihuahuan area, only 14 miles from the ruins of the … Read more Mata Ortiz is a small village in the northern Mexico Chihuahuan area, only 14 miles from the ruins of the Paquime area, which dates to the 13th century as the largest cultural settlement in what is now the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. As an ancient cultural center, it was known for the exquisite pottery produced there. After the Mexican Revolution, the families in Mata Ortiz scratched out a living. It was into this environment that Juan Quezada, his parents and 9 siblings lived. As a child, Juan would wander into the mountains where he would find shards of ancient pottery and study the patterns in and the composition of the clay. Through boyish curiosity, he later discovered the ancient “formula” for the clay and began crafting pots after the ancient method. As he perfected his craft, he taught his siblings and later a friend, Felix Ortiz, to also make pottery. Today, highly skilled artisans of Mata Ortiz create pottery using the original Paquime designs and method. The pots are not made with a potter’s wheel, but are, instead, made with the coil and pinch method, where coils of clay are rolled, stacked, pinched and rubbed smooth to form the shape of the vessel. This is a much slower way to produce pots, but the results are breath-taking. The potters also use local ores and minerals to color their clay.

This 9” wide x 8” tall black on black clay pot or olla was crafted by Miguel Bugarini from the Mata Ortiz, Oaxaca, Mexico area. This olla or traditional form of vessel is patterned with geometric designs etched around four large flowers that encircle the pot. At first glance, it appears to be such a simple design, until you realize that he etched each small line and rectangle all over the pot. It is signed by the artist on the bottom. The pot is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, crazing, or repairs.

This would be a wonderful addition to your pottery collection.

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