Approximate Dimensions of Pottery:
Weight – 13 ounces
Height – 3 inches
Width – 5.75 inches
Here is a beautiful Sgraffito piece of Mata Ortiz pottery by the team of Norberto Quintana and Melissa Teña. This piece is made of local white clay and covered with a heavy glaze. The glaze was then etched away in select areas to reveal this lovely image of hummingbirds feeding from flowers. The lovely soft blue is a difficult color to create and is seldom seen, especially in this brilliance.
The etching method is known as ‘Sgraffito’ and dates back millennia.
A pottery ring is included for sitting this piece on.
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Mata Ortiz is legendary, both the village and the pottery taking its name. In the 70's a young man began experimenting with recreating ancient pottery he would come across. He used the same clay sand mixtures from materials found in the area in which the ancients lived and made their pottery. The same firing techniques using the same local materials eventually created the same magnificent results. Half a century later and much of the village of Mata Ortiz has taken on these incredible skills for creating masterpieces, with each artist contributing hers and his own sense of beauty. The designs are bold, earthy and individualistic.
Paint brushes consisting of one or two human hairs create the finest lines. Images revealed through carvings are created by nearly microscopic sharpened points. Paints are developed from minerals found in the surrounding desert. Many colors are only revealed after intense firing at very high temperatures. These creations are truly unique transformations that only this small little region of the world can create from it's own soil. I have been tangentially around Mata Ortiz for 30 years. Now I am spiritually bound by their overwhelming beauty and intense and intricate designs. When I look at one of the pieces, I feel I am meeting in person the artists who created this, and am visiting their home.
I operate out of Tucson, Arizona, one of the largest crossroads for the trading of Latin American goods.