Mexican Large Serving Bowl / Vessel by Octavio Gonzalez

Glossy black bowl whose inside is scratched with jazzy geometric patterns.

This large serving bowl or vessel in burnished pottery and blackware is by Octavio Gonzalez, from Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico, and dates to the 20th century. Mata Ortiz in Chihuahua, Mexico, is known for pottery revived in the late twentieth century, shaped by hand without a wheel and inspired by the ancient Casas Grandes tradition. Wide, shallow bowl with a polished black surface. The interior is etched with angular designs: triangles, radiating lines, grids and curved shapes. The outside is plain and smooth, with a gentle sheen. It is 5 inches high and 13 in diameter.

Black on black, and still full of ideas.