THE MIRACLE OF MATA ORTIZ Juan Quezada and the Potters of Northern Chihuahua [SOLD]

THE MIRACLE OF MATA ORTIZ Juan Quezada and the Potters of Northern Chihuahua

By Walter P. Parks

Published by Rio Nuevo Publishers, Tucson, 2011

Hardback with slip cover

207 pages, illustrated in color

This second edition chronologically showcases the evolution of Juan Quesada's pottery in 200 photographs

From the Flyleaf

"A ceramic arts tradition has taken root in a remote village, high on the plains of northern Chihuahua, Mexico. This is the story of that remarkable phenomenon and of the potter, Juan Queadaa, who started it.

"As a teenager in the 1950s. Juan found pottery shards from the prehistoric Casas Grandes Pueblo culture in the hills around his village of Mata Ortiz. Fascinated by these beautifully painted pieces, he began working with local clay, and gradually developed his own pottery making process. Over the years, Juan's shapes and designs evolved into a unique thin-walled, finely painted ceramic art.

"Family members and neighbors learned Juan's technique and then taught others until pottery making became the major occupation of the villagers. Sales of their pottery lifted them out of poverty, changing their lives forever. Today, Mata Ortiz pottery is recognized as a world-class fine art, and this book identifies over 450 artists."