What is San Bartolo Coyotepec famous for?
San Bartolo Coyotepec is a town and municipality located in the center of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is in the Centro District of the Valles Centrales region about fifteen km south of the capital of Oaxaca. The town is best known for its Barro negro pottery – black clay pottery.
Does Barro Negro have lead?
It is most often used for the barro negro pottery made in San Bartolo Coyotepec. Both glazed and burnished pieces are made in modern Mexico, with both leaded and non leaded glazes used. If the piece is to be burnished, it is usually covered in a slip then polished with a stone or a piece of metal.
Why is Barro Negro black?
The color of barro negro is due to the properties of the clay, and is not colored. 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.
What kind of pottery does San Bartolo Coyotepec make?
San Bartolo Coyotepec is responsible for the production of one of Oaxaca’s most popular handicrafts. Black pottery is the main focus of the village’s economy and more information about this beautiful and intricate handicraft can be found on our website under ‘Ceramics’.
What to do in San Bartolo Coyotepec, Oaxaca?
The village itself is not much different from most other villages in the Oaxacan valley; there is a tianguis (See ‘Markets’), a plaza, and a church. Of note is that San Bartolo Coyotepec is home of the MEAPO museum ( Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca ), and it has a small handicrafts market selling black pottery.
Where is Saint Bartholomew of Coyote Hill located?
Roughly translated then, San Bartolo is ‘Saint Bartholomew of Coyote Hill’. San Bartolo is located about half an hours’ drive from Oaxaca City, if you don’t have a car you can get there via Bus or colectivo. Follow this link to read more about San Bartolo Coyotepec.
Where can I find black pottery in Oaxaca?
Black pottery is the main focus of the village’s economy and more information about this beautiful and intricate handicraft can be found on our website under ‘Ceramics’. The village itself is not much different from most other villages in the Oaxacan valley; there is a tianguis (See ‘Markets’), a plaza, and a church.