Manuel Olivas

Manuel Olivas and his daughter Blanca are listed as one of the primary families of Master Potters in "The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz" by Susan Lowell, on page 120. Mr. Olivas is considered one of the top potters making replicas of prehistoric Paquime effigies and ollas. "In 1952, in Casas Grandes, Manuel Olivas began to produce low temperature ceramics decorated with the designs from the pieces found at the archaeological sites. His grandmother taught him how to find the clay deposits, how to prepare the clay and fire his pieces the way his family did to produce clay articles. This is how the new traditional Paquimé ceramics were born...." ~Julián Alejandro Hernández Chávez