Product Description
Ortega Pig by Folk Artist Gerardo Ortega, 10.5" x 4.5" x 6.5" Ortega46
Ortega and other artists from this area are known for making "barro betus," which is a form of glazed pottery whose patina was originally made with the resin of a pine tree called "betus." From a website about the artist: "His teacher was his father, Eleuterio Ortega Hernandez, and his grandmother, Natividad Hernandez. Gerardo is the 4th generation to work with barro betus. The process begins with 'tortillando' or kneading the clay into unique shapes. The kiln is readied and fires pieces created several days before. Before firing, the clay is black. The pieces have to be dried in the open air before baking them or they will explode. The firing is done at a very low temperature compared to other types of ceramics. Each figure is rubbed with birch oil just before firing, giving them a lacquered appearance once finished. Kilns are simple brick holes covered with old tiles." Gerardo Ortega is known for his whimsical depictions of pigs, dogs, roosters and other animals, and this one has so much personality, as most animals do.