Mexican Oaxacan Polished Black Clay Vase. Classic shape with flared small mouth and a rounded base. Signed "GST" on the bottom. 

Condition: Very good. 

Size: 7 x 7 1/2 in. 

Barro negro (“black clay”) pottery 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, and the origins of this pottery style extends as far back as the Monte Albán period (500 BC-750 AD). 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, which led to an increase both in the style’s popularity and production, particularly after collector Nelson Rockefeller discovered it and began to promote the region. From the 1980s to the present many artisans like Carlomagno Pedro Martínez have begun exhibiting the works in other countries, greatly contributing to an uptick in tourism to the area. Early examples of the style have been found at archeological sites, fashioned mostly into jars and other utilitarian items. It remains a traditional craft of the Zapotecs and Mixtecs of the Central Valleys area to this day, used both decoratively and functionally because of its sturdiness. Many different kinds of objects are now made including pots, whistles, flutes, bells, masks, lamps, animal figures, but significantly fewer vases, as the material cannot be used to store water or food. If the item is made in the ancient matte style, it retains the resistance to liquid, but the technique pioneered by Rosa that put the black wares on the map removes this feature, making the works primarily useful only as decoration. Traditionally, the clay is molded on plates balanced on rocks that can be spun by hand. After it is shaped, the pieces are set to dry in a well-insulated room to protect them from sudden changes in temperature, a process which can take up to three weeks. If polished, the surface of the piece is lightly moistened and then rubbed with a curved quartz stone. This compacts the surface of the clay and creates the metallic sheen and dark color during firing. This is also the stage when decorative accents such as clay flowers or small handles are added. The pieces are then fired in underground pits or above ground kilns, and then sold both in the many villages surrounding the central Oaxaca area and in the city itself by artists who maintain booths in the Zocalo.

Very good.