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New Arrivals $10 and Under |
Near the city of Oaxaca lies a deposit of clay from which the artisans of the region extract the material needed to make the renown brilliant black pottery they are so famous for. While the Zapotec people have been working with this clay for over 3000 years since the time of pre-hispanic Monte Alban, it is only in the last 75 years or so that Dona Rosa accidentally discovered that by burnishing the pieces with a quartz stone, a brilliant shimmer would appear. She went on to acclaim many awards worldwide for the beautiful pieces she created and gave fame to Oaxaca's Barro Negro.
Like most artifacts made of this material, the clay is first ground into fine powder and sifted various times until it becomes as smooth as flour. Water is then added, forming a thick paste. The artisan molds each piece by hand or throws it in the traditional Zapotec method: a pair of spherical bowl shaped plates, one balanced on top of the other without a pivot. The piece is then embellished with intricate patterns carved or sliced into the clay with razor sharp knives. Before firing, the artisan burnishes the piece with great energy using a quartz stone, smoothing and closing the pores of the clay. Then it is placed in the shade where all moisture evaporates over a period of a few days. When the piece is dry, the artisan fires it in an open wood burning kiln set below the surface of the ground, thus creating a reducing atmosphere. When it is fully baked, the kiln is shut to impede the oxygen from reaching the fire. By doing this a condition is created that results in the black coloration of the pieces. Precise temperature and time specifics depend on the skill of each Zapotec potter. From hand molding to decorating to burnishing to firing, the creation of each of these brilliant, black and unique pieces takes each potter about twenty days to complete. |
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