Barro Rojo Medium mug with saucer - Set of 2 (Includes Shipping)

Made of naturally red clay (Barro Rojo) found in the Oaxacan region in Mexico, is the ultimate combination of physically intense handmade work, the mystery of centuries-old traditions, and the almost magical effects of chemical reactions.

Please accept that these products are manufactured in the cottage industry and their style of packaging and shipping is not like the big corporate retail stores. Quality handmade pieces is their specialty.

Dispatched in a maximum of business days. Exchange accepted within 7 days of delivery. Cancellation requests will be accepted strictly within 24 hours of placing the order only.
This item ships from Mexico.

We advise to hand wash this natural clay pottery.

Machine wash is not recommended by the Artisans.

Macrina Mateo Martínez and her family grew up with very little, but at age sixteen she decided to travel and introduce the red clay to other regions around Mexico. It was uncommon for females to stray to far from the village. Her determination, bravery and vision to get the red clay notices worldwide was a success. Today, the pottery can even be found in the museum of Modern art in New York.

Located 40 minutes from the city of Oaxaca, San Marcos Tlapazola is an indigenous community that belongs to Tlacolula de Matamoros, municipality of the Central Valleys, and that has become famous for its handicrafts in red clay.

The color of Barro rojo (Red Clay) is due to the properties of the clay, and is not coloured. The earth used to extract the clay is cleaned to remove impurities, which can take a month of soaking and settling out the clay from the rest of the soil. After this process, each piece takes about twenty days to complete.

Traditionally, the clay is moulded on plates balanced on rocks to that they can be spun by hand. Modern potters tools are not used.

Large pieces, such as cantaros are fashioned from the bottom up adding clay as the piece grows. After it is shaped, the pieces are set to dry in a well-insulated room to protect them from sudden changes in temperature.

Drying can take up to three weeks. If the piece is to be polished so that it turns out shiny brick red when finished, it is polished when the piece is almost dry.

This is also the stage when decorative accents such as clay flowers or small handles are added. The designs of barro negro objects are unique to this area.

The pieces are then fired in underground pits or above ground kilns, using wood fires that heat the objects to between 700 and 800 °C.

When they emerge, the polished pieces are a shiny black and the unpolished ones have a grey matte finish.