Barro Negro Horse – Zapotec Caballo

Another stunning piece from San Bartolo Coyotepec! This piece is barro negro with a technique applied to make it look like patina on leather or stamped and oiled leather. The colors are so rich and warm, and the piece is really outstanding. The piece you are buying is the same piece in this photo.

We discovered this artist some months ago as Josefina was visiting a new shop in Coyotepec, and we fell in love with her stunning gorditas, and have been back many times since. All her work is exquisite!

We are paying the artist the full price for each piece instead of asking for bulk discounts, because we want to encourage her and thank her for bringing pieces like the ones she makes.

Barro Negro is a unique and important tradition for the Zapotec people in Oaxaca, Mexico. It was around over a thousand years before the Aztecs entered the picture, and it is still widely made today in the Central Valley region surrounding Oaxaca City where the special clay is found.

We hope to bring more pieces from this artist in the future. We make sure that we purchase everything using Fair Trade practices. We do not haggle with artists or vendors, and we do not ask for volume discounts. Our mission is to bring beautiful pieces here that we love, and we think others will love while supporting the amazing artists in Oaxaca who have lost so much of their livelihoods when the pandemic has brought to a halt weekly festivals and outdoor markets.