San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua

San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua has a pottery tradition that dates back thousands of years. Originally known as San Juan de los Platos for the plates and traditional cooking vessels that were being crated there.

The rich muddy clay is dug within and around the pueblo and is clearly the reason that the pottery tradition has such strong roots.

The ecological environment around the pueblo is very favorable for indigenous tribes to thrive in the hills above the Laguna de Apoyo.

In the late 70's the community of San Juan de Oriente started to recapture there indigenous art form. International assistance mostly by Spain brought contemporary design and technique to the native traditions.

The work of Gregorio Bracamonte to recapture the lost decorative style of the Nicoya was a defining moment for the community. Many years of experimentation came together an Don Gregorio began to teach community artisans.

The community of San Juan de Oriente now has moved toward a more contemporary style of pottery mixed in with techniques for time gone by. Many of the designs of the pueblo are of Maya, Nicoya and other local ethnic cultures.

The pueblo has gone through an economic renaissance of sorts as over the past 10 years an international market place has opened up for the ceramic arts of the peublo.