Mata Ortiz pottery is a recreation of the Mogollon pottery found in and around the archeological site of Casas Grandes (Paquimé) in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Named after the modern town of Mata Ortiz, which is near the archeological site, the style was propagated by Juan Quezada Celado. Quezada learned on his own to recreate this ancient pottery and then went on to update it. By the mid 1970s, Quezada was selling his pottery and teaching family and friends to make it and the pottery was able to penetrate the U.S. markets thanks to efforts by Spencer MacCallum and later Walt Parks along with Mexican traders. By the 1990s, the pottery was being shown in museums and other cultural institutions and sold in fine galleries. The success of the pottery, which is sold for its aesthetic rather than its utilitarian value, has brought the town of Mata Ortiz out of poverty, with most of its population earning income from the industry, directly or indirectly.

See the Juan Quezada Collection, a special collection of Mata Ortiz pottery commisioned by a collector of Mata Ortiz, now on display and for sale at Chimayo Trading. Juan Quezada Collection >>

To learn more about about the Artists and Pottery of Mata Ortiz and their close relationship with Chimayo Trading and the collaborative demonstration of their unique pottery crafting techniques, please read our newsletter Remaking History at Chimayo Trading Del Norte >>

Read Origins Of Mata Ortiz Pottery >>

Read Superlative Mata Ortiz >>

Read The Miracle Man of Mata Ortiz: Juan Quezada 1940-2022 >>