Included in this lot is a collection of five (5) Vintage Mexican Pottery Vessels, Tonalá, Jalisco designs, circa Mid-Modern Century. The ceramic production in Tonalá, known as the authentic mestizo ceramic, is symbolic of Mexico's identity. Made of burnished clay or scented clay, these artistic objects are created for ordinary and decorative use. The tradition comes from the Tonalteca group, which used clay to produce polished forms. The first designs of these ceramics were inspired by forms found in nature such as vegetables and roots. The bright hues used for burnishing the objects originated from the powdered colorful and scented clay found in Mexican soil. During colonial times, the production of pottery incorporated decoration techniques brought by the Augustinian missionaries in the 17th century. The missionaries introduced lacquer that began to be used along with the original burnishing method. Tonalá ceramics became an important part of the decoration of wealthy houses in Spain, for their fragrance, color and design. They were considered luxury objects brought from the Americas. The four most common finishing methods used in Tonalá are bruñido (burnished) clay, bandera (flag) clay, petatillo (woven straw) clay, and canelo (cinnamon) clay. Another lasting continuity of tradition is the imagery that spans pre-Hispanic times to contemporary work. For example, the Tonalá artistic tradition depicts the nahual as a large, jaguar-like cat with a smiling face. The nahual is a shamanic shape shifter who moves between the human and animal worlds. Now emblematic of the region, the flor de Tonalá (Tonalá flower) appeared at the start of the 20th century with an oval center surrounded by petals that form a scalloped floral design. These Tonalá pottery vessels include a large handled pitcher, a large two-handled vase, two long neck vases, and one small ceramic shot glass. The muted burnished clay colours are consistent with bird and flower motifs on three pieces and the large pitcher prominently featuring the Tonalá flower. All the pieces are in good overall condition, slight chipping noted on each piece. No other obvious marring noted. Pitcher measures 6"W x 13"H; two-handled vase is 7.5"W x 11"H; the two long neck vases are 6.5"W x 11"H; the shot glass is 2.5"W x 3"H. Sizes are approximate.