Daniel Gonzalez Mata Ortiz Olla — Polychrome, Carved Neck, Signed View Watchlist >
- Winning Bid: $160.00
- 37 Bid(s) View Bid History
- High Bidder: Gene52
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Lot # D405
System ID # 27607994
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Daniel Gonzalez Mata Ortiz Olla — Polychrome, Carved Neck, Signed
A substantial hand-built earthenware olla by Daniel Gonzalez, a noted polychrome potter working in the Mata Ortiz tradition of Chihuahua, Mexico. The globular body carries a dense sgraffito narrative — sea turtles, fish, rabbits, and birds rendered in Mesoamerican-inflected imagery across a burnished red-slip ground, with dark brown and green slip adding depth and dimensionality. Incised line work articulates the scales and shell texture of each creature with precision. The shoulder transitions from the painted field into a broad waffle-textured carved band encircling the neck — a labor-intensive element that recurs across Gonzalez's larger presentation pieces. The artist's signature is incised into the fired clay on the underside.
The Mata Ortiz tradition was revived in the early 1970s by self-taught potter Juan Quezada, who drew inspiration from prehistoric shards left by the ancient Paquimé culture at nearby Casas Grandes. All work is hand-built without a wheel; clay, slips, and mineral pigments are sourced locally and pieces are fired on open ground using cottonwood bark. Gonzalez works within this tradition but is recognized for his signature aesthetic — fauna-packed compositions in which fish, turtles, rabbits, and birds share the vessel surface in interlocking arrangements, described by auction specialists as characteristically "very busy designs." His work appears regularly in galleries and at auction across the American Southwest and internationally.
CONDITION
Good, Shelf Wear (Light). The burnished slip surfaces retain strong color with no chips or cracks observed. One small area of slip variation near the shoulder is visible in images and appears to be a firing characteristic rather than damage.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- Height: 10 inches
- Diameter: 11 inches
- Material: Hand-built earthenware with burnished polychrome slip and sgraffito decoration
- Signature: "Daniel Gonzalez" incised on underside
- Origin: Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico
- Campbell's Soup Can (4" H) Shown for Scale
