Mata Ortiz Polychrome Olla with Casas Grandes Style Geometric Triangles

North America, Mexico, Chihuahua, Mata Ortiz. An earthenware olla with a squat, compressed globular body that rises to a short flared neck with an irregular, hand-pinched rim. A band of interlocking triangles circles the shoulder over a warm buff ground. Each triangle is filled with matte brick red or smoky black and framed by parallel black lines that zigzag around the vessel. Below the main band, a lens-shaped black panel bordered by fine lines leads down to a plain lower body. The angular layout recalls the Ramos Polychrome wares of ancient Paquime, which the potters of Mata Ortiz took as the starting point for their revival. The olla sits in a coiled ring of twisted twigs or vine, a simple support that keeps the rounded base steady. Mata Ortiz is a small village in northwestern Chihuahua. It lies near the ruins of Paquime (Casas Grandes), a major trading center that flourished from about 1200 to 1450 CE. Paquime's potters produced Ramos Polychrome, a fine buff ware painted in black and red with stepped frets, interlocking triangles, and macaw motifs. Starting in the later 20th century, villagers led by the self-taught potter Juan Quezada studied ancient sherds found in the surrounding hills. From them they reworked the old methods: hand coiling without a wheel, local clays and mineral paints, and open firing. The revival grew into a community of hundreds of potters, and their work is now collected across Mexico and the United States. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 205585

Estimate:£225.46

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