Pottery (Cerámica)
Perhaps the most typical Mexican folk art, and one of the most ancient, pottery is found throughout the country, in many different styles and forms. Mexican pottery was traditionally hand-built, using coils or molds. It was generally low-fire earthenware, mostly without mineral glazes, which were introduced by the Spanish, as was the potter's wheel.
Common everyday utilitarian ware (la loza corriente) is a relatively conservative tradition. Minimally decorated, it comes in a range of forms, most of them adapted for food and liquids. The more decorative pottery may be used for ceremonies, household adornment, and as figurative sculpture made for sale. Pots are decorated with slips (layers of liquid clay), paints, and glazes.
Mexican pottery is characterized by strong village specialization. Most of a village, such as Tonalá in Jalisco, will produce pottery, and most of that work will be in a distinctive style. In many areas of the country, women might make the common ware and men the decorative; in others the entire family will collaborate to produce their wares.
Pottery, like all other Mexican crafts, has changed in the past century, replaced by industrial materials and forms. Many contemporary potters now use wheels and high-fire glazes. Traditional pottery is now usually produced for sale, but Mexicans continue to appreciate it for both its functional and decorative uses.
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