Barro Negro Ceramic Vase

4 x 7 x 12.5 inches

Barro Negro translates to “black clay,” which is what is used to make this pottery; rather than a slip or a glaze to create the rich black tone, the natural color of the clay is a dark grey which turns black as it dries. As part of an ancestral process from Oaxaca, Mexico, the clay is worked on a manual wheel and set to dry in the sun. It is later polished with a piece of quartz, giving it the high shine you see here. Intricate lattice designs and pattern-work are a contemporary take on very old motifs.