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Barro negro pottery ("black clay") is a style of pottery from Oaxaca, Mexico distinguished by its color, sheen and unique designs. Oaxaca is one of few Mexican states which is characterized by the continuance of its ancestral crafts, which are still used in everyday life. Barro negro is one of several pottery traditions in the state, which also include the glazed green pieces of Santa María Atzompa; however, barro negro is one the best known and most identified with the state.

It is also one of the most popular and appreciated styles of pottery in Mexico. The origins of this pottery style extends as far back as the Monte Alban period and for almost all of this pottery's history, had been available only in a grayish matte finish.

The most common pottery form in the area, known as the cántaro, had been used for carrying and storing water, mezcal, milk and other liquids, for generations.

if the pot, before firing, was rubbed with a piece of clear quartz, and then baked for only eight or nine hours rather than the traditional 13 or 14 hours, the result would be a shiny, black cántaro, purely decorative and unable to retain liquids without discoloration and filtration.

Then in the early 1950s, a humble, personable woman named Doña Rosa Real, together with her husband Juventino Nieto, by chance developed an innovation to its appearance and functionality;

Between the 1950s and the early 1960s, everyone else in the village continued to produce their grey functional pottery, while Doña Rosa and family toiled away with what became known as barro negro (black pottery). She developed a following of foreigners who collected Latin American folk art, including the likes of Nelson Rockefeller.

Today, three of Doña Rosa's grandchildren, Jorge, Javier and Fernando, and their sister-in-law Rocio, keep the family tradition alive, telling the tale of their grandmother.

Indeed it's no wonder that the walls of the workshop and gallery are adorned with photos of Doña Rosa with Rockefeller, and Don Valente alongside the likes of Jimmy Carter, an array of Mexican entertainment industry stars, prominent politicians including governors and presidents, and yes, even The Pope.

This collection of Black Clay Pottery comes from Oaxaca. It is unique because the clay with which it is made is black and can only be found in this beautiful State that is deep in the south part of Mexico. It is all beautifully hand crafted by expert Indians of the zone.

From the 1980s to the present, an artisan named Carlomagno Pedro Martinez has promoted items made this way with barro negro sculptures which have been exhibited in a number of countries.

El Tren de la Historia

Sculpture of a funeral in barro negro at the Museo de Arte Popular, Mexico City

One of the most collectible feature items made with Mexican black pottery is the Chango Mezcalero, or Mescal Monkey. The origins of the monkey are hazy at best, with several families claiming that they were the first to produce the ornamental receptacle. Regardless of its unclear origins, the mescal monkey is certainly striking.

The container usually holds roughly 1 ½ pints of mescal, a liquor made from the agave plant, and is shaped like a monkey that is customarily covering its eyes or ears. It is highly collectible, and one of the rare pieces of Mexican pottery that is used to contain a fluid. It is also customarily given as a gift.

Sound: Danzas de los Concheros - Los Folkloristas

México

Background: Caracol, mexican rug

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