Doña Rosa Barro Negro Dia de los Muertos Signed VTG Art Pottery Oaxaca Mexico In great condition with no cracks, measures approximately 10 1/2 " and weighs 1 bs.12.6oz This piece is highly detailed as you see in the pictures, only few artisans can master this skill. The image shows the base of a piece of black pottery, known as Barro Negro, from Oaxaca, Mexico, bearing the signature "Doña Rosa Oaxaca". Doña Rosa Real Mateo (1900?1980) was a renowned Mexican artisan from San Bartolo Coyotepec, Oaxaca, who revolutionized the traditional Barro Negro pottery style. Signature Style: Doña Rosa became famous for inventing a technique to polish and burnish the black clay pottery with quartz stones before firing, giving it a distinctive glossy, metallic sheen, unlike the traditional matte finish. Barro Negro Pottery: This unique black clay pottery dates back to ancient Zapotec culture, traditionally made from naturally black clay found in regions of Oaxaca like San Bartolo Coyotepec. Technique: The pottery is hand-molded without a potter's wheel, sun-dried, and then fired in a low-oxygen kiln, which, along with the high iron content of the clay, contributes to its deep black color. Legacy: Doña Rosa's burnishing technique became iconic and is now widely adopted by other artisans in the region, preserving this ancient Mexican ceramic art. In my opinion this piece should be in a museum, I also could not find another like it. Fast Safe Shipping w/ tracking