Floriberta, unlike many other folk artisans, rarely sells her work from her home although customers are always welcome. Instead, the family typically sells to fellow artisans in the local market who in turn sell to the public.

Prior to meeting his wife, Andrés only made mezcal bottles - now very much a collector's item. He did not come from a ceramic family but rather farmers.

Floriberta forms the main portion of her mini jugs one day and adds the lips the next day. The third day she decorates them. In one week, the family can typically create 500 pieces, firing them all at once for five hours. These miniatures can be purchased through MexicoEtc Miniatures also found on this website.

San Bartolo Coyotepec, Oaxaca has produced pottery for centuries. Pottery artifacts unearthed in many of Oaxaca's archaeological sites have been traced to the clay found only in this area. The earthenware vessels were once used to transport mescal from hillside farms into the communities for sale. The containers held about 3 gallons each and were lashed together and slung over the backs of burros for the journey. With the advent of plastic jugs, the use of the heavy pottery was abandoned. The potters of Coyotepec began to search for new applications of their pottery skills.

Doña Rosa, a legend in the pottery world (she died in 1980), came up with a method for making decorative black pottery from the local clay. Her work has received numerous awards and is included in collections worldwide including those of Rockefeller and the Smithsonian.

(The pot to the left is a Cantaro Colado and is 30 cms in diameter.) The technique she developed to give the black pottery its trademark sheen is the burnishing of the pot with quartz. No glazes are used. The potters of Coyotepec continue to use their traditional method of turning pots without a wheel. The technique uses two concave clay plates, one upside down supporting the other. This method is of pre-Hispanic inheritance, the pieces are molded on this device. The entire process to develop a finished piece takes 20 to 30 days and goes from molding to decoration, to slow drying in closed rooms, polishing with a quartz stone and finally to baking where the pieces acquire their notable black color. Although Doña Rosa attempted to keep her technique a secret, eventually word got out. The pottery is decorative only and should not be used for cooking or serving.

The tourism that Oaxacan artists rely on for their livelihoods has been in jeopardy over the last year and a half due to civil unrest and travel bans that have kept the tourists away. Bringing Floriberta to Feria Maestros del Arte along with other folk artists from Oaxaca will hopefully open the eyes of Feria-goers to the fact that Oaxaca is once again a safe place to travel and seek out the art that Oaxaca has become famous for. (The pot to the right is actually a lampara (lamp) - you place a candle inside - and is 15 cms in diameter.)

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Or contact Marianne Carlson at 011522 376 765 7485 or email mariannecarlson@gmail.com