MATA ORTÍZ

Ceramics of Mata Ortiz

Ceramic Vase

Mata Ortíz, land of potters and miracles

Mata Ortíz gained fame through the remarkable encounter between two extraordinary individuals: Juan Quezada Celado and Spencer MacCallum. Quezada, a humble countryman, rediscovered the ancient technique of pottery making through self-teaching. MacCallum, a professor of Anthropology, found in Quezada a friend—a generous, brilliant, and humble artist.

Zona Aqueológica

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Some History

It all started when Spencer found a small clay pot at a thrift store in New Mexico. Mr. MacCallum thought it was ancient art because of the technique seen in the making of the pot. He asked about the origin of the piece and was informed that it was made by a “boy” in Mexico. Spencer wanted to meet the author and ventured out to literally look for a needle in a haystack. The professor found the “boy” and the rest is history.

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Local culture

Food

As in all the towns in the rural area of Chihuahua, the kitchen is the meeting point for families. Beans are cooked slowly in a clay pot, green or red chili sauces are prepared to season potatoes, meat, stew, and flour or corn tortillas.

Tradition and customs

The pottery trade in Mata Ortiz is a family affair. Almost all the pieces are shared works. One person specializes in finding clay in the nearby hills, another takes care of shaping it, painting it and signing it, and surely another will put it up for sale.

Cultural heritage

Without a doubt, the cultural heritage of Mata Ortiz is the craft elevated to the art of pottery. Juan Quezada Celado rediscovered the ancestral technique of the trade that had been lost in the region over the centuries. In the ancient city of Paquimé there were notable potters, some zoomorphic pieces were found and others were used as funerary urns.