Index

Page 1
Apple Bakers
Baking Dish
Batter Bowls
Berry Bowls
Bread Bakers
Canister Set
Covered Casseroles
Coffee Mugs
Cheese Dish
Dipping Bowls
French Butter Keeper
Honey Pots
Pasta Bowls
Pitchers

Page 2
Pie Plates
Platters
Serving Bowls
Soup Mugs
Rice or Noodle Bowls
Salad Mixing Bowls
Soap or Lotion Pumps
Silverware Drainers
Utensil Holders
Wine Goblets, Carafe

Page 3
Chip & Dip, Salsa Cooler
Products

Mata Ortiz, Paquimé and Casas Grandes Pottery
Information

A Small Part of the Paquimé Pueblo Ruins

Pottery was first produced over 800 years ago in an area of Northern Mexico called Casas Grandes or Paquimé. At first the pots were crude but evolved through trade with other cultures. The Paquimé culture peaked sometime in the 13th or 14th century and then disappeared for reasons that remain unknown.

In 1976, Anthropologist Spencer MacCallum discovered three intriguing handmade ceramic pots in a secondhand store in New Mexico. While they resembled ancient pots of the region, they were actually new. After much investigation, Spencer discovered the pots, or "ollas", had been made in the small Mexican village of Mata Ortiz, in the mountains of the state of Chihuahua, by Juan Quezada. Juan had recreated the ancient pottery making techniques of the Paquimé Indians with only shards of the excavated pottery to go by.

Spencer's discovery and subsequent meeting with Juan Quezada set off a chain of events, often referred to as "The Miracle of Mata Ortiz." Not only has Juan continued to produce and market pots of high quality, he has taught others in the village to do the same.

Juan Quezada


Ron Martino Juan Quezada		Spencer MacCallum
Two potters from two cultures.		In Casas Grandes 2008.

Nearly 400 of the 2,000 inhabitants of Mata Ortiz are now producing pottery, slowly transforming the community from one of impoverishment to one of economic stability. Every stage of production of the pottery is done completely by hand, and each one-of-a-kind piece is purchased directly from the potter. Raw clay and pigment for the pots and paints are collected from the rich deposits found in surrounding hills and valleys. The potter's hand's form the pots, the hair of children is used to make the paint brushes, and the firing is done in the back yard with wood and cow dung as the fuel.

Over the years, experimentation, refinement, and creativity have taken place at all stages of production. Consequently, the potters are more skilled and innovative than ever, earning Mata Ortiz the reputation of a major pottery-producing center, and the status of one of the most skillful of it's kind.

Elda Gonzalez

	Carlos Carrillo shows us how to make an exquisite Mata Ortiz pot. All by hand, using clay from the mountains. The "paint" is actually different colored clays and the brushes are made of children hair. Carlos used the backside of a hacksaw blade to shape this pot. The scraper he used to shape the inside was made from a plastic bottle. He uses cow manure to get the hottest fire possible to fire the pot. Nothing was bought and nothing was wasted. Just incredible to watch.
The forming, decorating and firing of a Mata Ortiz olla.

	Mata Ortiz Spring of 2009 This is an excellent video of the village, the potters and the surrounding area of Paquimé, Casas Grandes and of course, Mata Ortiz..

Back

Mata Ortiz, Casas Grandes Gallery

			Mississippi Clayworks' Online Pottery Shop	Secure Shopping Site! This site uses a Comodo SSL Certificate to protect your personal information! View our privacy page
Home	Shop Online	Dinnerware	Retail Store	The Potter	Contact Info.

Mata Ortiz, Paquimé and Casas Grandes Pottery Information

Mata Ortiz, Paquimé and Casas Grandes Pottery
Information