Barro Rojo: Colander Olla

Beautiful colander olla, red clay, barro rojo, handmade in Oaxaca by Las Mujeres del Barro Rojo, the Women of the Red Clay. The Mujeres collective was founded by Macrina Mateo.  The tradition of pottery making in her family spans centuries. Macrina learned pottery making from her mother who used to trade her pots that took days to make for a minimal amount of food or money. When Macrina was 16 years old and only spoke Zapotec, she decided to learn Spanish and sell their wares.  Today, she is world known and was invited to show her art at New York's Museum of Moder Art.

The intense red color is achieved by combining red and yellow clay that the women mine in the hillside. Each piece is hand burnished.

The women make the pieces by hand without the use of molds or a pottery wheel. It takes them about 10 days to finish each piece. They are 100% lead-free.

Originally this type of olla was used to dry corn.


Origin: San Marcos Tlapazola, Oaxaca 
Dimensions: 7''Tall 26'' Circumference