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Pochteca Gallery

Ceramic/Pottery Vase/Jar/Lid Mexican Folk Art Collectible Décor Handmade Brown

Ceramic/Pottery Vase/Jar/Lid Mexican Folk Art Collectible Décor Handmade Brown

Regular price $ 74.99
Regular price Sale price $ 74.99
Sale Sold out
  • Beautiful Vase with Lid
  • Height- 7 1/2"
  • Height with Lid- 10 1/2"
  • Wide/Diameter- 8"
  • Opening- 3 1/2"
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  • This amazing vase was made by Gilberto Espicio Felix.
  • These stunning burnished clay pots were made in the remote Michoacán village of Huancito.
  • This vase is a brown color with hand painted white birds, flowers, leaves and other designs.

  • The family consists of Isaac Cayetano and his wife Amalia Félix Marcelino. Isaac and Amalia live in this household with their adopted grandson Pablo, his wife Socorro Espicio, and their son José Ricardo.
  • Elena Felipe Felix is Amalia’s daughter; her late father was David Felix. Amalia has lived in her own household with her husband, Gilberto Espicio Ambrosio, for some 30 years. Amalia and Gilberto share their house with their ten children (five sons and five daughters).

  • They obtain their clay from deposits on communal land. With picks, shovels, machetes and other implements, they excavate the clay, filling buckets or sacks and returning home.
  • The clay dries for two or three days and then is crushed with heavy stones. All debris is removed and then it is ground in a mortar and sifted until they have a fine powder. The clay is moistened and sealed in plastic.

  • The following day, they knead the clay on a makeshift table. The process is slow in that care must be taken to remove all lumps and air bubbles which might result in cracking. The kneaded clay is formed into balls and then flattened into pancakes. The table is coated with the fine clay powder to avoid the material sticking.

  • Once the thin pancake is ready, it is applied to the mold and smoothed into place with a damp rag. A fine thread is used to cut off any excess. Jugs and pots are formed with two molds, the two pieces later joined together to completed the item.

  • Once the pieces are removed from the molds, they are set in the shade to completely dry. Then they are given a coat of charanda, a brown soil pigment, after which they are polished with a pyrite stone and then a cloth. After polishing comes the decorating. Fine brushes made from cat hair are used to apply the paints they prepare from clay and water.

  • Great for any home, office or as a special gift.
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