This is another very interesting object that sold in the Matt King Collection a few weeks ago at Flying Pig Auctions in Westmoreland, New Hampshire. Although, I have only seen a few examples of this type of production in the American Northeast, including one example that I posted about on this website back in the spring of 2014: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2013/05/brimfield-day-2-more-early-redware.html.
During the early-to-mid nineteenth century, the production of this type of sgraffito decorated majolica was centered in the pottery workshops of Guanajuato City and nearby Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico. Historically, the industry in Guanajuato flourished due to the region's immense wealth from silver mining, which created a high demand for sophisticated household goods. While Spanish traditions initially influenced the craft, by the 1821–1840 period, Guanajuato pottery had developed a distinctly Mexican folk identity. This era was heavily influenced by the legacy of Father Miguel Hidalgo (1753-1811), who, prior to the War of Independence, established ceramic schools in Dolores to provide the local population with a sustainable trade.
Father Hidalgo was recognized as the Father of Mexican Independence; he was also a Roman Catholic priest. He was ordained in 1778 at the age of 25 and served as a parish priest in several towns, most famously in Dolores (now Dolores Hidalgo) starting in 1803.
This type of earthenware production was made during the first few decades of independent Mexico (1821–1840), however the technique of majolica (tin-glazed pottery) is much older, having arrived with the Spanish in the 1500s. This specific "sgraffito" style from Guanajuato also became a symbol of a newly free nation.
By the early 1800s, Mexico (then called New Spain) had been under Spanish rule for nearly 300 years. The push for Mexico's independence from Spain was a complex, 11-year struggle (1810–1821) fueled by social inequality, the desire for self-governance, and international turmoil.
Father Hidalgo launched the movement on September 16, 1810, with a call to arms for the poor and indigenous populations. Though his massive, untrained army won initial victories, he was captured and executed in 1811. After years of turmoil, independence was finally secured on August 21, 1821, by a former Spanish royalist, Agustín de Iturbide (1783-1824).
Additionally, the bulk of this type of production was sold in the marketplaces of Guanajuato City and Dolores Hidalgo. Although, its distribution patterns were also shaped by the immense wealth of the silver mines and the broader trade networks of the newly independent Mexico.
Interestingly, this type of production may have also migrated to America; when Mexico gained independence in 1821, it lifted all long-standing Spanish trade restrictions that had prohibited commerce with the United States. This opened a direct 800-mile link along the Santa Fe Trail, allowing Mexican and American traders to exchange goods legally for the first time.
Nonetheless, this rare example of Mexican Independence-era pottery from Matt King's Collection brought $650 plus the buyer's premium: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/227921994_lot-of-2-pieces-of-redware-w-sgraffito-decoration-tray-and-flask-9-x11-12-tray-and-8-tall-flask-westmoreland-nh.
The only other examples of this type of Mexican pottery that I have seen are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan and Winterthur Museum in Delaware, as well as a third example that sold at Grogan & Company in Massachusetts in 2014.
Grogan & Company Dish: https://www.groganco.com/auction-lot/mexican-majolica-sgraffito-dish-guanajuato-mexi_a9e21c1d7b
Metropolitan Museum of Art Dish: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/725124
Rare Circa 1821-1840 Mexican Independence-Era Pottery
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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