Rosa L. Mata Ortiz olla

This lovely little olla (pronounced O-ya, Spanish for “pot”) is an example of the classic Paquime style of Mexican pottery often called Mata Ortiz pottery. But before telling you more about it, I’ve got to tell you the story of Mata Ortiz pottery.

It all began with Juan Quezada, a 12-year old boy living in Mata Ortiz, a poor village in northern Chihuahua, Mexico. Mata Ortiz was built near the ruins of Paquime, ancient city of the Casas Grandes (“Big Houses”) culture, so named for their town’s main adobe structure that soared six stories above the surrounding plains. As with the ancient Anasazis of what is now the Four Corners area of America’s desert southwest, the Casas Grandes disappeared over 600 years ago, leaving behind only pottery fragments to bear witness to their level of artistry and sophistication. Often when Juan Quezada was out gathering firewood for his family he found old pottery shards that intrigued him. He kept them, studied them, and began to wonder if he might not be able to reproduce such pottery.

But in Chihuahua, pottery making was a lost art and Juan was completely untaught and unskilled. Nevertheless, he began experimenting with various amounts of the different clays found in the mountains near Mata Ortiz, as well as with different materials needed to make pigments for painting. Through pure trial and error, plus an undoubtedly extraordinary intuition and artistic soul, Juan soon taught himself how to make ollas similar to those of the ancient Paquime Indians, formed and painted entirely by hand, without benefit of a potter’s wheel or kiln. He even invented his own technique for firing the pieces, using cow manure as the combustible!

Several years passed and neither Juan Quezada nor his remarkable ollas might ever have been known outside of Mata Ortiz except for a highly improbable chain of events that should bring goosebumps to anyone who has ever pondered that which we call “fate.” One day, for whatever reason, some visitors ventured into Mata Ortiz and Juan, for whatever reason, gave them three of his ollas. These they ultimately exchanged for clothing at Bob’s Swap Shop in Deming, New Mexico.

Enter Spencer MacCallum, an American anthropologist with a specialty in Art History, who walked into Bob’s Swap Shop one day in 1976, bought the three ollas for $18 apiece, and then, recognizing their artistry and true value, set about discovering who had made them. Ultimately he wound up in Mata Ortiz, where an astounded Juan Quezada surely must have thought he was meeting the “gringo loco” of all time when MacCallum offered to pay him a generous monthly stipend to produce his art full-time, for which MacCallum would endeavor to develop an American market!

And the rest really is history. Due to MacCallum’s promotion, originally in the American Southwest, the demand for Mata Ortiz pottery quickly skyrocketed. Wanting to help others in his village become successful potters, too, Juan Quezada taught his techniques first to his family and then to other members of his community. Thirty years later, over 400 local artists are involved in this artistic movement, the community’s economic level has increased incredibly, and Mata Ortiz ollas are recognized worldwide. Many pieces have been exhibited in important museums and galleries, and in 1999 the Mexican government awarded Juan Quezada the Premio Nacional de los Artes, the highest honor Mexico can give a living artist.

Our beautiful little olla was purchased in New Mexico around 1982. The clay is a rich tan-brown, painted with deep gray geometric designs, three filled with dusty red, three with the same deep gray. Very graceful in shape, this olla stands 4-3/4" tall with diameters of 3" at the rolled mouth and approximately 6-1/2" at its widest point. Excellent condition with no nicks, chips, cracks, or crazing, and only one small scratch on the bottom that’s marked “Rosa L.” Thinking it might be an early example of the work of Rosa Loya, one of the first Mata Ortiz potters, we contacted Spencer MacCallum to see if he could verify that. Here is his gracious response:

Dear Swaphos and Miss Kitty,

Well, you have a mystery! The pot is not by any of the Loya or Ledezma families. I talked with them, and they disclaim any knowledge of it. Rosa Loya (Rosa Isela Loya Jaquez de Ledezma) has always signed her pots “Rosa Loya” or “Rosa Loya y Santos Ledezma” (Santos Ledezma Gonzalez is her husband), never just “Rosa L.” Moreover, they don’t work in the classic Paquime style; their style is very different.

Thinking it might have been made not in Mata Ortiz, but in Nuevo Casas Grandes by one of Julian Hernandez’ students, I called Julian, but he doesn’t know a Rosa L. He thinks it’s likely by a relative of Gaby Silveira in Porvenir, or could have been made by one of the Manuel Olivas family here in Casas Grandes. Do you want me to pursue it further? It’s a simple design, but well done.

Spencer

We don’t yet know the identity of Rosa L., but obviously she’s a skilled potter. Her graceful little olla is truly a work of art to be treasured and passed down through the generations. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.

Price: $115.00 + s/h and insurance

   only 1 available

Tonala fruit plate

In Tonala, Mexico, a small town on the outskirts of Guadalajara in the State of Jalisco, the history of pottery dates back to pre-Hispanic times. Tonala artisans make, paint, and polish their pieces by hand. This 11-1/4" diameter x 1-1/4" deep wall plate is representative of the brunido style of Tonala pottery, hand burnished with stones or pyrite to produce a shiny appearance. The central design is of a large peach surrounded by cherries and grapes, with a border of additional cherries, all done in vibrant shades of red, blue, green, and yellow. Back is signed by the artist E. Ortiz, and shows an unglazed red clay base ring. Above the artist’s signature is a hole for inserting a hanger so the plate may be hung on a wall. Beautifully done and in perfect condition with no nicks, chips, or cracks. See our companion Tonala plate listed immediately below. (Click on picture for more images.) Tell a friend.

Price: $35.00 + s/h and insurance

   only 1 available

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