Red Clay

The Magic of Oaxaca

• The Region

  San Marcos Tlapazola, a rural Zapotec village outside Oaxaca City, is well-known for its unique red clay and the cookware made using techniques handed down for 20 generations. The Women of the Clay (the estimated 300 potters in the village are all women) use their hands to create cookware from the unique red clay that the area is known for.

• The Process

  A distinctive mix of stain – created with tannins from the oak tree and juice from the prickly pear cactus – is dropped on the clay pieces with much sizzle and fanfare after pulling the pottery from a 900° Celsius oven. Yet, these random-seeming designs are anything but, having been created from centuries of experience and tradition.

• Tradition

  Clay pieces are shaped by hand with the thought and care that comes from generations of understanding local roots, culture, and traditions. Mexico’s pottery practices date back 3,000 years and each hand-turned object is a piece of history, as well as a piece of art.

Learn About Handcrafts and Folk Art in Oaxaca

Coded by Karen Chong