Mexican Pottery.

Northland Age, Volume 27, Issue 40, 21 October 1927, Page 2

Mexican Pottery.

Nearly the whole of the pottery used in the Durango section of Mexico, from the tiniest teacup to the largest flowerpot, is fashioned by hand from Durango clay. There are about twenty such factories in the city, employing from 5 to 50 men in each. The clay used is obtained from the base of Durango's famous Iron Mountain one mile north of the city. The vessels are all fashioned by hand and foot power. The only instrument is a large wooden wheel through the axis of which passes a pole about three feet in length, terminating at the other extremity in a small wooden wheel set parallel to the big wheel. The operator sits so that he may turn the large wheel—set horizontally near the floor so that it will move freely—with his foot, which in turn causes the little wheel above, on a level with his chest, to revolve rapidly. A convenientlysized lump of clay dough is placed upon this little wheel, and as the mass revolves by the impulse of the labourer's foot he hollows Out and fashions the vessel.

The skill and dexterity of these workmen is little short of remarkable. With only the eye to guide them, they fashion with astonishing rapidity vessels which do not differ one from the other in either size or shape. A single labourer is able to complete about thirtysix dozen jars of nearly a ipiart capacity in a day.