Mata Ortiz Pottery Wedding Vase Lizards & Quail:
Weight - 1 Pound
Height - 8.5 inches
Width - 4.75 inches
Here is a masterful and lovely creation by Mata Ortiz folk artist Señor Humberto Piña. Every bit of the surface is covered by deeply etched, ancient Paquimé influenced designs. These images are both contemporary and ancient. There is a quail and lizard on each side. The finest of etched white lines reveals intricate shapes going back to the dawn of the Mata Ortiz culture. The Paquime culture dates to 1000 CE and the modern villagers are the direct descendants, proudly carrying on the millennium old tradition while giving it a contemporary touch. The surface of the handle connecting the two spouts is even given attention to detail.
The use of these double spout vessels carries over into numerous southwestern cultures. Their ceremonial use in marriage traditions and marriage rites is significant and too involved to describe here, but makes for very interesting reading. Suffice it to say, one spout is for the groom and one spout is for the bride.
Be aware to never fill this with liquid and always carry it from the sides.
Señor Piña signs his art work.
A pottery ring is included in the price for the Mata Ortiz Pottery Wedding Vase Lizards & Quail to sit 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.