Black Pottery - Ceramica Negra

[Bob]

Asturias shares with certain other Iberian locales (including Catalonia and northern Portgugal) a tradition of manufacturing black ceramic pots. As I understand it, the process used a reducing (oxygen free) atmosphere rather than a glaze to produce a rich black color, much the same as some of the Native American pottery from the American Southwest (San Ildefonso Pueblo, for example).

When I was in Aviles, I stopped in a tavern that had a magnificent display of perhaps 60 to 80 nearly identical two-handled, narrow-necked black pots on display, all locked into a gridwork-like system of wrought iron shelving. The overall impression was very beautiful indeed, and had a powerful visual rhythm. I cannot recall the name of it, but it was located on the next street to the east and south of Calle La Fruta.

Among the websites that illustrate the black ceramics are http://www.greencom.net/altonarcea/ceramica/instalaciones.htm and http://www.vivirasturias.com/asturias/turismorural.php?in_id=3798&mod=971&lang=0.