Amalia Cup

This espresso cup is an example of the tradition of "splashed" ceramics, a technique that is unique and distinctive to the Mixteca Alta. These pottery pieces are among the few in the world that use vegetable pigments for decoration. The dark brown color of the stains is achieved when the cups are pulled out from the oven at a temperature close to 900°C, the artisan then applies an ink made from cactus and oak bark.