Posted 10 years ago
JSS
(1 item)
I was given this piece by a friend of my parents about 40 years ago. I'm not sure how he came into possession of it, but he said it was a museum quality piece. There is a tag on the bottom that says Made by the Mexican Indians, collected and for sale by Capt. C. W. Higgs, 41 University Place, New York City. Can anyone give me further information? What tribe? Where is it from? It's in perfect condition and really very beautiful.
This is burnished Tonala ware, a traditional style of pottery from the state of Jalisco, in west central Mexico. The tag is inaccurate (like a lot of tags added by former owners), since there is no connection with any Indian tribe.
It's just a popular type of souvenir pottery from that area. It is not glazed, the leather-hard clay is simply burnished (polished) with a smooth stone before it is fired. It is therefore not waterproof, or food-safe, and the surface decoration is easily damaged. Based on the style of the painting, this dates early- to mid-20th century.