Creating with Clay

Creating with Clay

 Crafting with clay, family style

Quite a few of the businesses we work with are small, family owned ones. Skills are passed down through generations and sometimes altered slightly so they’re able to add their own personal touch to their products. We were able to sit down with Minerva, wife to the owner and main craftsman Sergio, to learn more about the intricacies of their family’s pottery business.


Pottery in Mexico   

 From the very beginning, the shop was a family initiative. Minerva's father was the one who taught Sergio, who soon after began to produce pottery. But in addition to that, Sergio had already learned the petatillo technique with his own family.   

 The petatillo technique is believed to be first created in the mid 1800s in Tonalá, Jalisco. This type of pottery is distinguished by having an off white or light yellow background filled with crosshatching. That crosshatching looks like a woven palm mat, also called a petate. The most common images painted over that crosshatching are plants and animals.   

 This technique requires fine white clay to be fired at a very high temperature to yield a product that has a similar finish to porcelain. The smooth surface allows for very complex and intricate designs to be painted.

Family Ties   

Minerva says that it all started in 1998, “We opened the premises where we continue to market the pieces to this day.” Their daughter, Blanca, helps run the business while their two sons, Juan and Alejandro, help manufacture the products.

The global pandemic has impacted many, including business owners around the world. Sergio and Minerva had to close their store from the end of March 2020 to the beginning of August of that same year; however, they continue to work in the workshop. 

“We never stop paying our workers' salaries, although at times they also had to do other types of activities, such as masonry.”

Thankfully, as time goes on and things return to somewhat normal, it’s back to business as usual for the shop.

Creating the Pieces  

 When it comes to creating, there are always so many things to pull inspiration from. Whether it’s from your culture, family, surroundings or something else entirely. When asked where Sergio gets his inspiration from, Minerva shares that “It is a personal taste. Sergio really likes to create; he is always experimenting”. Through experimenting, he’s made quite a few of our favourites, including their best seller – the cups and saucers. So what does it take for them to make a piece of pottery? Well, the depends on what they’re making but here’s a breakdown of the general steps.


GATHER

Once all the materials are gathered they have to decide which type of paste to use. Liquid paste is used with a molding and solid paste is stepped on.

MOLD

After choosing which one they’re going to do, they make the paste and create the piece.

REMOVE

The waste material on the edges of the product, also referred to as the ‘burr’, is then removed.

POLISH

It’s then polished and smoothed.

DRY

The product then sits to dry before it’s boiled. This requires it being subjected to a temperature of 900 °C for 10 or 12 hours.

ENAMEL

The product is them enamelled and ready for a second burning

HEAT

It’s subjected to a temperature of 1260 °C for 10 or 15 hours

COOL

After that they remove the piece from the oven to cool down.


With all of the effort that goes into making each piece, we asked Minerva if there was anything she’d like to let her customers know. She said “I would like these people to know the process so that they know the investment in terms of time and effort behind each product, and so that they do not want to be ‘haggling’”. Unlike mass produced products, these are carefully crafted. Minerva expressed that it brings her happiness to see the products come out of the ovens so well and that their customers appreciate the work and effort. We’re just as happy to be able to share their beautiful pieces with you!


TRI-COLOUR CUP

$26,00

These unique pottery pieces are handcrafted using the petatillo technique, which has been passed down through generations in Mexico.  These cups will bring a modern, textured flair to your dining experience, and are sure to become your go-to cups for any occasion!


SPECKLED GRAY CEREAL BOWL

$36,00

The technique requires fine white clay to be fired at high temperatures, which results in the products having a similar finish to porcelain, allowing for intricate and complex designs to be painted overtop.