Nativities from Mexico

Women in the village of Cuentepec in Mexico have created many ceramic nativities using simple molds and finishing by hand. They are low-fired in a basic wood- or cattle dung-fueled kiln. The potters have expanded into creating these decorative pieces based on the skills needed to produce comales, or clay tortilla pans. These traditional skills have been passed down through the generations, and the skills remain today in the villages around the central highlands of Mexico, where the best type of clay for the purpose is to be found.