Handmade Mayan Shell Vase

Attractive and striking, this vase mimics the shape of a seashell! The Mayan patterns atop these vases are designed by each artist. Each piece is handmade and size, shape and patterns vary from piece-to-piece. 

Some of the world’s most distinctive pottery is created in San Juan de Oriente, a small village nestled among volcanoes in Nicaragua. In a typical village scene you are likely to see ox carts delivering clay and other materials to the various workshops. The clay is “thrown” on a kick wheel to form the shape. Afterward, they are painted using mineral oxides and then meticulously carved, sgraffito style, using home-made tools typically fashioned from the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Once the decorative incisions are complete, the pot is baked in a wood-burning kiln, constructed from adobe bricks in a traditional bee hive configuration, where it is finally removed and polished.

Each piece is signed by the artist and measures approximately 8 x 5".