The Pottery of San Juan De Oriente

The Pottery of San Juan de Oriente

These beautiful hand-crafted pieces of pottery come from the village of San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua. The majority of the artisans in this village work in small family groups. There is a centrally located cooperative in town where the artisans display their work. Although pottery making in this area has been around since pre-Columbian times, it was during the 1970's that San Juan de Oriente experienced a revival of this traditional craft.

One group that has been a driving force behind the revival of pottery making in Nicaragua is Potters for Peace. Through this organization potters from around the world interested in peace and justice issues volunteer their time and share their expertise with local artisans. This exchange has resulted in a rebirth of pottery throughout the country.

The potters of today is more elaborate techniques and designs than 500 years ago but still make each piece by hand. Most of the artisans use potter's wheel. After the piece is thrown on a wheel it dries for several days and then is carefully decorated. Each artisan had his or her own style of decoration. Some of the artisans prefer the traditional pre-Columbian designs while others like the technical challenge of contemporary Escher-like designs. A relief panel is often used to accentuate the design. It is made by cutting out the design and then creating the texture in the  background. Mineral oxides are used most often for the colors and are lead free. These pieces are low fired and they are not glazed inside, thus not hold water. Dries flowers are preferable or a plastic liner may be used.