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Clay To Make Mortar And Pestle


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I have been asked to copy a Mexican Mortar for a friend from Mexico.  She has used it for making salsa and the mortar is cracked.  I want to make is safe to use.  The mortar is 8 inches across and 4 inches tall.

 

What clay should I use to make it?  I usually use B-Mix or Speckled Buff.  She wants to have the same pattern on the inside as the old one.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

Ginny

 

 

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The usual material for a mortar and pestle is some grade of Porcelain.  Coors and Co.  comes to mind as the leading maker of commercial  wear of that type.  Many of the Mexican mortars are made of volcanic rock.

I can't make a specific recommendation for clay.  I don't know enough.

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That mortar looks like lead-glazed earthenware to me. If you switched to Bmix, it would be an improvement on her old clay. Matching colours and forms is usually a mine field.

Hoe it turns out O.K.

TJR.

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Thanks for the suggestions.  I think the old one is earthenware.  The thought of lead based paint makes me glad to make her a new one.

 

I don't need to match the color, but she wants me to make a pig face on one side and the pig tail on the other side.

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  • 7 months later...

Hello all,

 

Just an update on this project -  It took me four times to get what I considered a successful piece that satisfied the client.  In my first post I asked for suggestions on copying an Mexican folk pottery.  There were four pieces that I made.  The first one was too rough in the interior of the bowl.  I glazed the inside with a white glaze.  It had the pig parts and pig tail, but was not what I wanted.  The second try was too small and didn't have the pig pieces because the weather was so hot and I was not quick enough to attach the pieces before the bowl was bone dry.  I painted some pig parts, but not very interesting.  I gave it to my client to use and promised to make another bowl.  I make two more bowl and the fourth one was the best. 

 

So here are the photos of the final bowl. 

 

My client is from Oaxaca, Mexico and told me that the name for this style of bowl is called Molcajete, which she uses to make salsa. 

 

On the fourth bowl, I did not stick to the straight lines for the grooves, but let it be loose lines.  I did sand down the inside which was not glazed to make a cleaner surface.  Yes, I questioned it I should glaze inside, but the old bowl did not have a consistant glaze.

 

Thank you to those who answered by early questions.

 

 

 

 

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