Death Mask, Scribed Black Clay
- Sold By: MATEOS BROTHERS
- Type: SCRIBED BLACK CLAY
Death holds a very special place in Mexican Culture, be it as a celebration of life or a reminder for us to seize our days while we are alive, it is subject of inspiration for many works of art, this Death Mask is sure to inspire and fill with elegance any space you put it in. Hand-molded, fire-dyed with dried eucalyptus leaves, and hand-scribed by the Mateos Brothers, this piece belongs to a cultural testament of Tonala, Jalisco, where the Mateos Family has mastered and perfected this technique to Award Winning fame.
Details:
This piece is currently not in stock. Once your order is processed, the artisan will receive an order to produce a replica of the item you ordered. Given the handcrafted and artistic nature of their pieces, your purchase may have some variation in design and shape. It is these same variations that make every item unique.
Elaboration times range from 20-25 days.
Measurements:
12.60" height x 8.66" wide x 5.12"long
Weight:
3.20 lbs
Tonala Black Clay is a very special type of Clay different from the one found in Oaxaca, what makes this Tonala Black Clay so special, is actually a part of the piece’s firing process.
After the piece has been carefully hand-molded and detailed, it is then bathed in a dark engobe (watery mix of clays with darker tones), then, its fired for around three to four hours, then, the Artisans fire up a very particular type of bonfire, all fueled by dried eucalyptus tree leaves, and fire each piece individually while keeping the flame alive by feeding it with the needed leaves.
After turning the piece around one or two minutes on each of its sides, a natural oxidation and tint process takes place, so that when the piece is taken out of the fire, it acquires its distinctive black color.
The piece is then washed and rubbed to remove any excessive soot from it, after that it is left to dry for the final stages of the process.
After drying, the pieces are then carefully scribed with special tools, giving them very characteristic relief designs and patterns found in this very unique and traditional Artistic style.
