  
 This piece of pottery could be considered a "masterpiece" of black-clay artwork. Created by Doña Sofía Reyes' son Marcelo Simón, this piece illustrates many of the artistic methods of the Zapotec people. Specifically, this piece of black-clay pottery required the assembly of three hand-molded bowls, the stenciling and carving out of intricate decorations during the molding process, being fired in a traditional underground wood-burning kiln, and the polishing of the fired piece with a chunk of quartz to give it the glossy shine of the finished work. Additionally, besides the designs of flowers and other decor on this piece, the geometrical patterns stenciled into the base of the work represent the ruins of Mitla, the ancient religious city of the Zapotec indians, located in the Mexican state of Oaxaca near the homes of Doña Sofía Reyes and Marcelo Simón. Finally, this piece carries the artistic signature of Marcelo Simón, which is the engraved symbol shown in the embedded image above.
This piece of black-clay pottery measures 14.5" Tall and 6.5" Wide. It is NOT safe to put water in this vase, it is of the decorative style and has not been fired in the kiln long enough to make the clay strong enough to hold water.
This is truly an impressive piece of black-clay pottery, beautiful and elegant, it would be admired in any room in any home.
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