Cocucho Pots

Cocuchas handmade pottery from a Purepecha Indian village in the Mexican state of Michoacan. The unique African pottery style was taught to native artisans in the town of Cocucho by Catholic monks over 300 years ago. No other native people in Mexico were taught this technique and the descendants of the original pottery makers still work hard at this craft. The Purepecha Indians of Cocucho still use their own language and work at subsistence farming, and everyone helps to create these vessels. A mixture of volcanic ash clay, sand, and water form the basic molding material, which is made into large rings to create the pots. The artists smooth the surfaces with corn cobs and wet stones and then fire the pots over a large charcoal fire. Splashing with a corn meal solution completes the process. The earthy colors range from golden bronze to almost black. Each one of these pieces is unique.