Mata Ortiz Pottery By Jose Mora

Mid/Late 20th Century

5.5" H x 6" D

Hand Coiled Red Olla (jar) with a Globular Form and a Stepped Rim with a Painted Black Geometric Design

In Very Good Condition

Jose Mora is one of the potters working in this tradition. His pieces often feature fine-line geometric patterns, such as intricate checkerboards in black, red, and cream tones, combined with bold motifs like feathers around the shoulder. A distinctive element is his pictorial signature: a procession of stylized birds painted on the underside of the vessel. 

Mata Ortiz pottery is a renowned ceramic tradition from the small village of Juan Mata Ortiz in Chihuahua, Mexico. It revives and innovates upon the ancient Casas Grandes (Paquimé) culture's pottery styles from roughly 1150–1450 CE. The revival began in the 1970s with Juan Quezada Celado, who self-taught the techniques of hand-coiling thin-walled vessels, using local mineral pigments for polychrome (multi-color) designs, low-fire methods, and freehand painting without stencils or wheels.