Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Mata Ortiz pottery

This is day two of my mexican excursion sponsored by the  Pink Store in Palomas Mexico.  this day took us to the town of Mata Ortiz where the principal economy is pottery making.  

Mata Ortiz is a small village in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, less than 100 miles (160 km) from the US-Mexico border. The community is one of the designated localidades (localities) in the municipio libre (municipality) of Casas Grandes, one of several such pueblos in a wide, fertile valley long inhabited by indigenous people. Mata Ortiz is located at the base of a mountain known as El Indio and on the west bank of the Rio Palanganas, a tributary of the Rio Casas Grandes. The ancient ruins of Casas Grandes are located nearby. As of 2010, Mata Ortiz had a population of 1,182.



This pot looks machine manufactured.  The symmetry of the pot.  The fine detail in the artwork.  The artist, 30 year old Karla Lopez Cota, who has been making pottery since the age of 16 demonstrated the patience need to paint the designs with strains of human hair.




Other pictures of the days activities are below.


 You can't go sightseeing without eating!











Invited into the potter's homes.





















 Many potters setup their wares in the streets.


Entire families work the business together.






 From simple pots to elegant designs.



























Handmade custom jewelry also.






















A hacienda being restored.