Oaxaca black pottery, or Barro Negro, is sought after by both collectors of fine pottery and visiting tourists. The village most famous for its black pottery artists is San Bartolo Coyotepec, located just outside of Oaxaca City.
Artist Dona Rosa Real de Nieto created clay pieces in San Bartolo Coyotepec up until her death in 1980. She discovered that black pottery could be polished to a magnificent shine by using a shard of quartz after air drying. Today, her son continues in her footsteps, following the pre-Hispanic tradition of turning pottery without a wheel by using two concave pots (one upside-down to support the piece being worked on). The clay, which is tan in color at first, is molded to the desired shape. Decorations are handcut, and then the piece is set aside to air dry. Once it is hardened, it can be rubbed with a quartz stone to achieve a wonderful black luster. Firing the pottery is an intuitive process that reveals the skill of the artist - the beautiful black color can only be attained through precise timing in the firing pit. Sometimes, you will see gray or lead-colored pieces. This indicates that they were fired twice to make the pieces waterproof. The whole process from start to finish can take up to thirty days.
Here in Puerto Vallarta, you can find many examples of fine Oaxacan pottery. By stopping and noticing the luster and intricate designs, it's easy to understand the passion and the time that the artists put into these lovely pieces.
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