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The techniques that produce these traditional Pots, Effigies, and contemporary Ceramic ware known as Mata Ortiz Pottery (sometimes miscalled Casas Grandes Pottery after the prehistoric) were created in Mata Ortiz, a small village on the high plains of northern Mexico by Juan Quezada, who was intrigued by the designs on the ancient pottery shards he found while gathering firewood to help support his family as a young boy.
The shards and rare whole pots came from a civilization dating from approximately 1000–1500 A.D. centered in nearby Paquimé (in the present day town of Casas Grandes), which traded pottery and other items with peoples from the Pacific to the southwestern United States and down into Central America. Anthropologists began excavating these ruins in the 1950’s but know little about the original inhabitants except that the city was devastated by a major fire and abandoned before the Spanish arrived in the new world. Their technological advances including those involved in the making of pottery were lost. Click here to learn more about the ancient peoples of Paquimé.
Juan theorized that the ancients must have created their pottery from local materials and set out to rediscover their methods. He found local clay deposits and minerals to use for paint. By a process of trial and error he learned how to process and shape the clay so it would not crack during drying and firing, how to paint the fine lines using a brush made from human hair (often from his own children), to finish the pot with a high shine and to fire it using simple, readily available materials.
Meanwhile he made his living as an agricultural and railroad laborer, occasionally selling or trading pots when he could. In 1976, anthropologist Spencer MacCallum found three pots in a swap shop in Deming, New Mexico. Initially he thought they were ancient, but when closer inspection revealed their contemporary origin, he set out to find their maker. Eventually his search led him to Mata Ortiz, an impoverished little town in Mexico on an isolated dirt road, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It was there he found Juan Quezada and when Juan brought out similar pots he knew his search was over.
This discovery has led to major recognition of Mata Ortiz Pottery and shows in galleries and museums throughout the US, including the Heard Museum in Phoenix, the San Diego Museum of Man, and the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles as well as museums as far away as Japan.
As the demand for the pottery grew, others learned and expanded on Juan’s techniques and it has now become a significant source of income for a majority of Mata Ortiz residents, funding education and improved living standards.
Unrestrained by “tradition” the creative potters have explored new styles and techniques resulting in a dynamic new art movement melding traditional and contemporary designs. Often the production of pottery involves multiple family members, crossing generations and genders. Every visit to Mata Ortiz reveals new artists pushing the limits of their creativity and mastering their craft.
The artist proudly signs each unique piece.
Sierra Madre Trading Company is pleased to be a part of this movement, bringing these exquisite pieces for your enjoyment. We hope to see you often as you add to your collection.
Please visit our MATA ORTIZ GALLERIES to see items currently available.
See MAP showing location of Mata Ortiz
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