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Feats of Clay
Mexico’s pottery traditions
present ample souvenir choices.
BY BETSY SHELDON
36
INTERVAL WORLD Fall 2015 IntervalWorld.com
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lay creations have been a part of Mexico’s craft tradition for thousands of years.
The original populations took advantage of regions blessed with soils ideal for
shaping and firing into functional vessels for cooking, carrying, and storing. Then,
with the arrival of the Spanish, new processes were introduced and incorporated
organically into the local clay-working culture. The result? A spectrum of styles
and a pottery-lover’s dream.
Although some ceramic forms come from a specific region or even village, those covered
at right are typically found in gift, handicraft, and souvenir stores throughout Mexico.
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