MUJERES DEL BARRO ROJO

San Marcos Tlapazola, Oaxaca

Mujeres del Barro Rojo is a collective of female artisans located in the Zapotec community of San Marcos Tlapazola.

The women of the village developed their craft as a way to trade and sell with neighboring towns for food and necessities. They have been creating their functional red earthenware for centuries, handing down the skills from grandmother to mother to daughter.

The clay is mined by the women at a nearby mountain. Vehicles cannot reach the red clay deposit so the women need to hike up, dig the clay and carry the clay bags back.

Back in their home studios, the mined clay is processed to a workable state. Each piece is carefully hand built, meticulously burnished and then beautifully cured in an open fire.