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.[1] Barro negro is one of several pottery traditions in the state, which also include the glazed green pieces of Santa María Atzompa;[2] however, barro negro is one of the best known and most identified with the state.[3] It is also one of the most popular styles of pottery in Mexico.[4] The origins of this pottery style extends as far back as the Monte Albán period. For almost all of this pottery's history, it had been available only in a grayish matte finish. In the 1950s, a potter named Doña Rosa devised a way to put a black metallic-like sheen onto the pottery by polishing it before firing.[3][5] This look has increased the style's popularity. From the 1980s to the present, an artisan named Carlomagno Pedro Martínez has promoted items made this way with barro negro sculptures which have been exhibited in a number of countries.[6]
- ^ Marín, Guillermo. "Barro Negro" (in Spanish). Mexico City: Artes de Mexico magazine. Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ^ "Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México Estado de Oaxaca Atractivos Culturales y Turísticos" [Encyclopedia of the Municipalities of Mexico State of Oaxaca Cultural and Tourist Attractions] (in Spanish). Mexico: INAFED. Archived from the original on 10 July 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ^ a b "El proceso de elaboración de artesanías de barro negro de Oaxaca" [The process of crafting barro negro crafts of Oaxaca]. Once Noticias (in Spanish). Mexico City. Redacción Once Noticias. 8 October 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ^ Ortiz Vargas, Hilda (24 May 2008). "San Bartolo Coyotepec, Oaxaca". El Informador (in Spanish). Guadalajara, Mexico. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ^ Boy, Alicia (27 August 2000). "El arte y la magia de Dona Rosa" [The arte and magic of Doña Rosa]. Reforma (in Spanish). Mexico City. p. 2.
- ^ Soria Castillo, Luis (13 February 2010). "En vida Hermano En Vida Carlomagno Pedro Martinez". El Imparcial (in Spanish). Oaxaca. Retrieved 8 March 2010.[permanent dead link]