Everyone who was lucky enough to visit Mexico, paid attention to the beautiful black potter products sold on the craft markets and in tourist stores. Black ceramics is made only in the town near the city of Oaxaca, but it is so popular with collectors and just tourists, which can be purchased at any corner of Mexico.
What is its feature?
Well, first of all, ceramics is not painted in black, and it receives it thanks to the unique properties of a local volcanic clay, which is mined only near the Mexican village of San Bartolo Cakes. This is a chameleon clay. In the raw form is an unpretentious gray mass. Interestingly, it will acquire a ready-made vase or a jug of the famous black color depends on the way of burning the product.
If the firing is done in a modern gas stove, it turns out a soft golden brown color. But if you burn the products in traditional earthy (!) The furnaces heated exclusively firewood, then it turns out this magic black color! The same way of firing was used many, many centuries ago, the ancient Indians-Sapoteks, inhabited by the territory of modern Oaxaca.
What is noteworthy, in addition to the traditional firing, in the production of black ceramics, artisans also use an ancient Indian way to create a product - without a pottery circle! Yes, just as the ancestors-sapping more than 2,000 years ago, modern masters simply use two clay plates - the top is installed on The bottom, inverted - and slow (!) Scrolling attachments to the future vessel. Of course, to get impeccable smooth form requires great skill and experience.
After the ceramics gave the shape, it is waiting for drying in a closed room, which is on average about 3 weeks. And then the master takes the hardened clay and with the help of a knife and other tools manually cuts the openwork pattern. Well, then follows the firing.
Thus, the production of each product is from 20 to 30 days!
But that's not all! Did you notice the characteristic metal glitter VAZ? No, unplaced products. And the brilliance is achieved by rubbing ceramics with a piece of quartz!
This invention belongs to Don Rose, which, being an offacarious pottery, in the 50s of the last century, invented such an extraordinary way of final dedication of ceramics!
Naturally, Rosa Real de Nieto was an outstanding master of his case, the winner of many competitions, and collectors stood in line for her ceramic works. Nowadays, her grandchildren work in the workshop of the Dona roses, carefully observing family pottery traditions.
(And Don Rosa itself is in the photo below)
Thus, as you see, the creation of any vase or plate is a hand and time-consuming process that makes each product exceptional and unique.
Well, that personally, I am pleased with the most, so this is what modern Mexican designers and masters-shustari produce beautiful decorations from Oaxaca clay.
Black color of ceramics and glitter of Mexican silver - a beautiful combination, isn't it?
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