Lenca Pottery

From prehispanic times the Lencas have always stood out for their exceptional handcrafts especially their pottery which clearly reveals its connection to Meso America. Contemporary Lenca pottery has maintained its prehispanic shapes techniques and finishes that have been handed down from generation to generation by the women who to use the clay continue to ask permission from The Owner of the Clay, entity that is the object of  reverence and floral offerings. The Lenca potters make utilitarian objects like pithcher, pans for maize cakes and pots for tamales as well as decorative objects. The technique most used by the potters are ACORDELADO O COLOMBINO, the basic convex mold and casting .The shine that is characteristic of these objects is obtained by burnishing or polishing the objects by hand with flintstones. This is a long and delicate process. The objects are decorated by different methods including cutouts, overlays, painting and dripping sometimes in a technique similar to a photographic negative. The most common finishes are the natural clay color with a was of red or white ENGOBE. The dripping technique  in which natural tannin vegetable dyes are used produces a very modern looking stained effect. The clay is fired in an open wood burning  fire or in wood burning single chamber ovens. They specialize in in reduction firing which produces black pottery and in firing twice to produce negative like contrasting colors. Among the Lenca pottery centers those of La Campa, Lempira stand out for their fine pottery of red ENGOBE. The centers of San Lucas and Camasca are famous for their yellow pottery painted with feathers. Cofradia and Yamaranguila  in the province of Intibuca are known for their large tamale pots. San Jose  de Guajiquiro  pottery that is black and has zoomorphic forms. Yarumela is famous for its Christmas "PICHINGOS" .San Jose de Guajiquiro and Yarumela are both in the province of La Paz. While El Porvenir, Sigatepeque, and Comayagua specialize in utilitarian  black clay products Guerinze, Ojona and F. Morazan specialize in jugs, PICHINGOS and decorative houses and churches. La Arada, Paso Hondo and El Carreto  are all in the municipality of Goascaran Valle. La Arada is famous for its black pottery  and the negative technique in forms which are archaeologically inspired .Paso Hondo and El Carreto are known for their brightly colored figures of  roosters which have come to symbolize Honduran pottery making.

"Alfarería" or pottery as described above is the art of making clay objects at a low temperature and without glazing.

BIBLIOGRAPHY                              

Foletti, Alessandra  “Alfarería Lenca contemporánea de Honduras”. 1990. Editorial Guaymuras. Tegucigalpa. HONDURAS

Foletti, Alessandra “Viaje en el universo artesanal de Honduras” en publicación. IHAH. Tegucigalpa. HONDURAS

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